On June 11, 2025, representatives from five leading EU-funded projects—HARMONISE, InterPED, ASCEND, PEDvolution, and NEUTRALPATH—came together for an inspiring and forward-looking webinar hosted under the Scalable Cities Initiative. This collaborative event gathered researchers, city leaders, innovators, and policymakers to explore real-world tools and solutions accelerating the deployment of Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) across Europe.
Moderated by Eugenia Brignone (ASCEND-SC), the session featured project presentations, thematic discussions, and a lively panel exchange. Veronica Cerna (ASCEND & Scalable Cities) opened the event with an overview of the Scalable Cities Community and the PED Cluster, emphasizing its role in fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange, and innovation toward urban climate neutrality.
Spotlight on HARMONISE: Defining PEDs in Practice
Christos Korkas (CERTH, Coordinator of HARMONISE) presented the project’s integrated approach to hierarchical resource management and optimization for smart energy communities. His talk addressed a key question: What are PEDs in practice? By grounding the concept in real-life implementations and technical frameworks, HARMONISE aims to bridge the gap between PED theory and functional urban systems. The project focuses on multi-level orchestration of energy flows, data-driven decision-making, and community-centric innovation.
Cross-Project Collaboration: Insights from the Field
Each project shared unique strategies and tools:
- InterPED: Lorena Sanchez and Dr. Valentina Janev highlighted a cloud-based platform for PED planning, enriched with data interoperability and monitoring features.
- ASCEND: Baptiste Mougeot and Monica Barroso shared real-world business model experiences and introduced an innovative PCED card game for stakeholder engagement.
- PEDvolution: Marina Laskari and Minna Kuivalainen showcased solutions for evolving PEDs, emphasizing community engagement, social innovation, and adaptive technology.
- NEUTRALPATH: Stefania Mascolo outlined integrated approaches to governance and citizen participation, underscoring the importance of policy alignment and capacity building.
These presentations collectively emphasized the need for interoperability, inclusiveness, scalability, and community-driven innovation to accelerate Europe’s energy transition.
A Shared Mission: Empowering Cities Through Innovation
This webinar was more than a showcase,it was a call to action. The diversity of tools, pilot experiences, and policy recommendations presented reflect a shared commitment: enabling cities to lead the climate-neutral transformation through practical, collaborative, and scalable solutions.
We thank all participants, partners, and the Scalable Cities Secretariat for creating an engaging platform for exchange. As the projects move forward, the cross-pollination of ideas will continue to shape the future of urban sustainability across Europe.
Please find the recording of the session here:
