UNDERSTANDING AND TACKLING URBAN HEAT ISLANDS (UHI)

Have you ever wondered what Urban Heat Islands (UHI) are and how they affect our cities? This phenomenon can lead to adverse health effects, increased energy consumption, and a decline in the overall quality of life.

Introducing "Be Ready": Your Partner in UHI Mitigation
"Be Ready" is dedicated to equipping local and regional authorities with the necessary tools and knowledge to understand UHI, its causes, and its impacts. Our mission is to:

Educate and Empower: Provide comprehensive knowledge about UHI to help authorities grasp the severity of the issue.
Innovate and Validate: Co-create, test, and validate innovative solutions to mitigate the effects of UHI in urban areas.
Support and Implement: Assist partner cities in developing and implementing action plans that enhance resilience against UHI, focusing on green, blue, and white measures.
Unveiling "Green Acupuncture"
Our novel approach, "Green Acupuncture," empowers cities and knowledge partners to implement targeted, impactful, and context-based interventions in critical urban areas. Our city pilots will explore solutions in three key areas:

Green Acupuncture: Vegetation-Based Interventions
Incorporating more greenery into urban landscapes to cool down cities naturally.

White Acupuncture: Innovative Surfaces and Materials
Using advanced materials and surface treatments that reflect heat and reduce temperatures.

Blue Acupuncture: Novel Uses of Water Resources
Implementing creative water management strategies to lower urban temperatures.

Join the Movement for Cooler, More Resilient Cities
Ready to learn more? Watch our brand new video to see what we’re working on and how you can join the effort to create cooler, more resilient cities. By adopting these innovative strategies, we can transform our urban environments into healthier, more livable spaces for everyone.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzpSDvPIKOA&t=6s 

This project is supported by the Interreg Danube Region Programme co-funded by the European Union.

SDA HOSTS INSPIRenov PROJECT MEETING

The INSPIRenov partners gathered in Sofia for a 3-day workshop dedicated to the piloting of a blended financing scheme for multifamily buildings in Bulgaria. The innovative financing scheme will be the first in the country to offer alternative financial products to households for energy efficiency retrofits of multifamily building. The meetings included a series of discussions with local and international experts from the World Bank in Bulgaria, EnEffect – Bulgaria, Latvia, Estonia, and Hungary on the challenges to energy efficiency and buildings renovation. INSPIRenov is set to provide technical assistance to banks to co-develop and test blended financing products to support families in the process.

SDA, a partner in INSPIRenov, hosted a meeting focused on the role of local authorities for promoting such products and facilitating homeowners’ access to them. The alternative funding sources will allow households to make home improvements to withstand increasingly volatile climate changes, among them prolonged and persistent heat waves, flooding, etc. Currently, SDA coordinates a 19-partner project - BeReady - funded by the Interreg Danube Program, which tackles multiple challenges linked to the phenomenon of urban heat islands. During the discussions, we had an opportunity to share with the international experts initial findings from BeReady and to identify channels for collaboration in the next two years.

SYNCLUSIVE FIRST REVIEW MEETING

SYNCLUSIVE project had its first review meeting, organized by the EC project officer, the lead partner TNO, two external experts, and the project work package leaders. It took place at TNO’s headquarters in the Hague, Netherlands, on June 10th, 2024. The review meeting discussed SYNCLUSIVE work plan progress, deliverables and milestones, and evaluated them against the project objectives.

TNO presented the overall project achievements and status, whereas the work package leaders presented the technical and scientific progress at the work package level.

The experts evaluated the project as well structured and well managed, and its objectives successfully achieved within the timeline The first year implementation is important for the proof of concept. The process of social dialogue and governance is critical for today’s society. Аs work package leader for communication, dissemination, and exploitation, SDA presented the achieved in this area.

The experts offered their advice on enhancing our research and innovation project to ensure it effectively responds to new challenges and delivers impact for our citizens and target groups. Among the recommendations were to develop a strategic approach to engaging policy makers, to focus more on the dynamics of the social dialogue process, to make deliverables both concise, with a clear message, and provide the details experts would expect.

Stay informed about more news via our website, X, and LinkedIn channels!

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This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101094526

CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS: GENDER ED CIVIC HACKATHON!

Are you passionate about combating gender disinformation and advancing media information literacy education? Join us for an exciting Civic Hackathon dedicated to making a tangible change against gender disinformation!

Date: 25-27 September 2024

Location: Umbria, Italy

You can apply if you are:
          – Aged above 18 years;

          – Involved in media and information literacy education;

          – Committed to countering gender disinformation online and offline;

          – Comfortable expressing yourself in English;

          – Available for the entire duration of the Hackathon;

          – Based in Italy, France, Bulgaria, Greece, or any other EU Member State;

          – An activist, designer, content creator, journalist, teacher, student, a professional in education, mass media, gender studies, journalism.

What’s in it for you?
Opportunity to collaborate with like-minded individuals.
Travel, accommodation, and daily subsistence covered for traveling participants.
Make a tangible impact on feminist online communities.

Selection Procedure:
We’re selecting up to 40 participants for on-site participation based on gender balance, age, geographical region, and background. Selection is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Application Deadline: 28 June 2024

How to Apply:

1. Fill out this short form in English: https://forms.gle/pa3Y5qwV4Qd8Zbh79

2. Look out for our confirmation email in your inbox after you’ve registered and follow the steps we have laid out for you in it.

Let’s work together to create a safer and more informed online space! Tag your friends who might be interested and spread the word.

The project GenderED Coalition is funded by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), Creative Europe Program (CREA), under the call CREA-CROSS-2023-MEDIALITERACY.

SDA WITH A KEY NOTE SPEAKER AT TECHNOLOGY FORUM THESSALONIKI

The 11th edition of Thessaloniki signature innovation event – the Technology Forum – was held on April 25, 2024. It is a joint effort of 24 Greek institutions, universities and businesses and aims to present cutting-edge technologies to enterprises that could be used to produce innovative products and services, to bridge the gap between research and industry, to foster the start-up environment and the global links and presence.

This year one of the key note speakers was Sevdalina Voynova with Sofia Development Association. Sevdalina share the experience of Sofia over the last decade in working with data and AI, start-up and innovation ecosystem support, the need of social innovation toguarantee just transition.

The Technology Forum was accompanied by BEYOND - the largest meeting for digital transformation, technology and innovation in Greece, with the participation of world leaders in the technology and innovation, the largest AI congress in Greece, numerous business meetings, career days, and a wealth of conferences, colloquiums, and workshops.