May 2024

4 Reasons to Join the DUT Partnership

Are you passionate about making a real impact on urban sustainability? The Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) Partnership is your gateway to collaborating with a diverse network of stakeholders from across Europe and beyond. In this article, we highlight four reasons to connect and engage in the programme.

 

Video where stakeholders share the benefits of joining DUT.

 

1. Find new collaboration partners across Europe

By creating an urban innovation ecosystem, DUT provides opportunities for science, policy, business, and society to interact, collaborate and build capacities to meet the needs of urban actors and society.

“The main advantages for a small company like e7 to engage with DUT is that we get additional experience, know-how, from other people and from other perspectives in different countries. In the DUT Partnership, we’ve effectively found partners for transnational projects, with whom we’re still actively collaborating.”

Gerard Hofer, e7

e7 is currently part of two DUT-funded projects within the Positive Energy Districts Transition Pathway, HeatCOOP and PED StepWise. You can read more about the projects in the DUT Call 2022 Projects Catalogue.

Project partners interacting during the kick-off event for DUT Call 2022.

 

2. Influence the strategic agenda setting

The DUT Partnership brings together national research funding organisations, ministries and innovation agencies to jointly develop a European research and investment strategy and priorities for urban areas.

“Investing in a European Partnership, like DUT, enables to exchange best practices between funding agencies and reduces fragmentation in knowledge and financing on European level. In Belgium we fund public bodies, private and not-for-profit organizations, multiplying the impact of research results in diverse fields of expertise. DUT is a source of inspiration for our stakeholders that benefit from research projects aligned with in the Regional Innovation Plan and Shifting Economy propelling the development of the Brussels Capital Region.”

Marie-Carmen Bex, Deputy Director General, Innoviris.brussels

 

3. Grow your skills and build local capacity

Continuous dialogue with stakeholders, especially through our City Panel, is key to shaping priorities and developing strategies towards sustainable and liveable urban environments. The DUT City Panel and the Public Officers and Practitioners (POP) Community serves as platforms and meeting spaces for people in public administrations to collaborate, exchange concrete good practices, and share experiences, contributing to the development of inclusive and resilient cities.

“Being able to exchange experiences with other cities, particularly regarding crucial themes like 15-minute City, has been invaluable. We have learned a great deal from each other, especially in navigating European networks, strategies, and funding opportunities.”

Lucas Röhlinger, Umeå Municipality

 

4. Bring knowledge from one part of Europe to another

To further enhance these collaborative approaches, our stakeholder mobilisation and engagement platform, AGORA, brings together urban actors from different backgrounds, and facilitates interactive and co-creative open events across Europe.

Complementing these efforts is our Urban Doers Community, which aims to strengthen the capacities of local initiatives and urban change-makers who play pivotal roles in urban transitions but often lack the resources and networks to apply for R&I calls.

“The Urban Doers Community has helped us draw lessons from our own past projects that have focused on transformation […] and to learn from other organisations within the DUT network. Our hope is for this to produce a virtuous spiral of sharing, expanding, and deepening our knowledge, network, and impact.”

Francesco Remonato, Smarter Than Car

An AGORA Dialogue on bridging policy, innovation, and local action.

 

Join DUT to drive sustainable change

The DUT Partnership is more than just a funding programme—it’s a dynamic ecosystem fostering collaboration and innovation across Europe. Whether you are a small company, a city official, a researcher or a local change-maker, DUT provides the tools, networks, and support to drive sustainable urban transitions. Join us in shaping the future of our cities—together, we can make a lasting impact on urban sustainability.

 
Voices from the DUT Partnership

Stakeholders share the benefits of joining DUT in this video.

 

Discover how you can become part of our stakeholder communities.

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