On 15 October 2025, the Living-in.EU Digital Assembly brought together city leaders, regional authorities, innovators and policy-makers to reflect on Europe’s digital transformation pathway. The day unfolded under a unifying theme – Empowering Cities and Regions through Data and People-Centred Digitalisation – and provided an open forum to explore how local and regional actors can harness artificial intelligence, interoperability and open data to drive meaningful public value. Throughout the event, speakers shared practical examples, strategic insights and calls to action for a more connected, trusted and citizen-driven digital future.
Among the key contributors was Jan Wester, Director of LDT CitiVERSE EDIC, whose intervention underlined that the key challenge today is not the lack of technology, but the need to connect existing tools, platforms and testbeds in meaningful ways. Wester emphasised that while cities and regions have access to an expanding landscape of digital and virtual tools, their real impact depends on linking testbeds, living labs and governance structures in ways that generate shared value.
The Director encouraged cities to clearly define their needs and expected outcomes to ensure that technology deployments deliver real value for citizens. He stressed the importance of multi-level cooperation and robust public-private partnerships built on trust, ethical alignment and clear expectations. His intervention reinforced the Assembly’s wider message: Europe’s digital transition will advance when cities, industry, academia and citizens work together through shared frameworks, ethical principles and long-term collaboration.
Read the full article on Living-in.EU website.
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