A coffee talk on the new Guidance document on organisational and cultural interoperability, was held on Tuesday March 27th, 2024, with participants from different EU Member States and beyond.  The Guidance document was published in the framework of the ‘Study on organisational and cultural interoperability issues arising in local administrations when establishing local, regional or national data spaces or local digital twins’ conducted by the Directorate General DIGIT and the Directorate General CONNECT of the European Commission. 

The coffee talk took the form of an informal exchange on the interoperability of smart city projects at local, regional, and national level. Following an introduction by the European Commission on the Interoperable Europe Act, the NIFO team provided information on the new guidance document, explaining the methodological process that led to its development and presenting its findings.  

Brief presentation of the Interoperable Europe Act and the European Commission actions to support the interoperability of smart cities 

Claudia Oliveira (DG DIGIT) presented the Interoperable Europe Act. The Act, which is expected to be adopted in April 2024, aims at assisting the EU and Member States to deliver interoperable-by-default public services, across borders for citizens and businesses. Furthermore, it also fosters the creation of an Interoperable Europe Community, with a GovTech focus, that enables stakeholders to contribute to and benefit from enhanced interoperability. 

The presentation also introduced the different elements of the Act divided in thematic areas, namely: a structured and co-owned EU cooperation; digital-ready and interoperable-by-design services; a strengthened interoperability support; and recognised reusable interoperability solutions.  

Next, the European Interoperability Framework (EIF) and the European Interoperability Framework for Smart Cities and Communities (EIF4SCC) were presented. The main aspects of each document were explored, concluding that the EIF serves as the official framework to guide interoperability efforts across the EU, whereas the EIF4SCC supports local initiatives.  

This introduction was concluded with the presentation by Miguel Álvarez Rodríguez (DG CONNECT) of two initiatives supporting local digital twins: (i) the Local Digital Twin Toolbox, providing structured tools and assets for facilitating execution of each customised smart city objectives; and (ii) the CitiVerse EDIC initiative, a Member States and cities-driven project creating digital replicas of cities to stimulate development and planning.  

Presentation of findings on cultural and organisational interoperability challenges 

Last year’s study on interoperability challenges for local digital twins and data spaces revealed a series of organisational and cultural interoperability challenges faced by local public administrations in the context of smart city initiatives. Identified organisational interoperability challenges include the definition of leadership responsibilities and common processes, the definition of common objectives, and the organisation of technical aspects while cultural interoperability challenges include the paradigm shift regarding data sharing, the lack of trust, the awareness on the benefits of smart city initiatives, and the insufficient human capacity and digital skills and literacy.  

Presentation of the new guidance document 

The objectives and structure of the document were presented. More concretely, the document is organised around four main project management phases (inception, planning, implementation, and monitoring), each including recommendations for the different stakeholders recognised (political leaders, public administrations, private companies, academia, and citizens and civil society organisations). 

 Exchanges with participants 

At the end of the presentation, the floor was open to participants for them to ask questions, share their thoughts, and provide feedback. Participants were curious about transversal aspects of interoperability such as the definition of common objectives or the regulatory framework of smart cities. An interesting discussion was held on these topics, which concluded on agreeing that the European Interoperability Framework albeit its non-binding nature is the guiding document for the raised concerns. In addition, participants suggested topics for future coffee talks, as well as shared effective interoperability measures that are being implemented at the national level.  

The presentation shared during the coffee talk is available below.