Turning EU Funding into Real Impact for the Danube Region

💶 With two million euros at stake, the PilotInnCities project is tackling one of the toughest questions: how do we turn EU funding into real, lasting change for the Danube Region?

The line between success and missed opportunity lies in how we engage stakeholders and share the solutions we build.

From Pilots to Policy

Even as the first Smart City agile pilots are being implemented, the conversation has already moved further. Together with partners, we are exploring how Agile Piloting can be sustainably integrated into Central and Eastern Europe’s regional development and innovation policies.

A highlight was the opportunity to sit at one table with the Ministry of Public Administration and Regional Development of Hungary, Lechner Tudásközpont, and our consortium members:

• Neumann Technology Platform

• HROD Social Economy and Community Development Centre

• Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic

We also thank CzechTrade Hungary and the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Budapest for hosting this strategic dialogue. Seeing perspectives align across institutions was truly encouraging.

Expanding the Dialogue

Just a day later, the CEE Automotive & Smart City Forum, organized by ZONE Cluster in cooperation with EIT Urban Mobility, provided an excellent stage for our lead coordinator Miroslav Scheiner. He presented agile piloting as:

• a systemic enabler of urban transformation, and

• a driver of renewed EU competitiveness.

The message resonated with business leaders, academics, public officials, and engaged citizens — broadening the conversation and reinforcing the value of this approach.

🙏 Thank you, Hungary, for showing how constructive dialogue drives shared solutions and brings real impact within reach.

📸 Special thanks to: Katalin Romao-Major, Marian Nic, Traian Urban, Egressy Dóra, Adam Havel, Gergely Miletics, Gabriella Simor, László Krisztián Zsombok, Arisztid Ditzendy K., Eszter Miklós, András Nagy.