Gate to Europe EGTC

The TwinCities Academy – A European Skills Ecosystem for Digital and Sustainable Municipal Transformation project proposal has been submitted under the EIT Culture & Creativity – NEB Academy / Skills Infrastructure call. The initiative focuses on strengthening the digital skills of small municipalities and cross-border regions while supporting sustainable, data-driven local development.

The project is led by the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca. The international consortium also includes the Gate to Europe EGTC, Dream Development SRL, the Municipality of Odorheiu Secuiesc, the Dniester Euroregion (Ukraine), and Vrata Prema Europi (Croatia).

The TwinCities Academy aims to establish a practice-oriented training and knowledge-sharing ecosystem that connects higher education, the technology sector, municipalities, and local communities. The programme is built around the practical application of advanced technologies such as GIS, LiDAR-based mobile mapping, 3D spatial modelling, and Digital Twin technology, combined with the sustainability and liveability principles of the New European Bauhaus (NEB).

As part of the project, LiDAR-based mobile mapping would be carried out in real urban environments in Odorheiu Secuiesc, Téglás, Kokad, and Kotlina (Croatia). The resulting spatial datasets and digital models would serve as the foundation for practical training materials and case studies, demonstrating how these technologies can support the planning and sustainable management of infrastructure, public spaces, and green infrastructure.

A key role for Gate to Europe EGTC

One of the Gate to Europe EGTC’s primary responsibilities within the project would be the cross-border transfer of knowledge and methodologies developed through the initiative. With its network of 35 member municipalities across Hungary and Romania, the EGTC provides a direct channel for ensuring that the project’s outcomes benefit not only the pilot municipalities but can also be transferred and implemented by other local governments in the future.

The planned 18-month project includes professional training programmes, municipal pilot activities, collaborative planning processes, Design Sprint and Train-the-Trainer programmes, as well as knowledge exchange among partners in Romania, Hungary, Croatia, and Ukraine. The project targets include 420 participants completing EIT-labelled programmes, 800 participants successfully completing professional training, and 800 participants acquiring new entrepreneurial skills.

In the longer term, the TwinCities Academy seeks to make its training materials, real-world municipal case studies, and international collaboration network transferable to other European border regions. The participation of the Ukrainian partner also creates an opportunity for the knowledge generated through the project to contribute to the sustainable reconstruction and digital transformation of municipalities in Ukraine.

The project proposal is currently under evaluation.