One of the defining features of the Interreg NWE T4R project is the focus on joint learning and co-development. This was brought to life during our recent consortium meeting in Dublin (10–13 June 2025). It was by the Dublin City Council team in the newly opened Europe Experience venue (highly recommended for visitors!) and on the beautiful Trinity College Campus. The event offered a rich mix of workshops, presentations, and collaborative sessions to push the project into its next phase.
Finalisation of the four T4R Frameworks
A key milestone was reached with the adoption by the whole consortium of the project’s four Frameworks:
- Education & Training
- Ethics, Inclusion & Democratization
- Governance
- Technical Design
The term framework might not fully capture their role. Rather than strict blueprints or checklists, these documents aim to be supportive, flexible, and inspirational tools for cities as they develop their Pilot Actions (Work Package 2) and associated training programmes (Work Package 3). The frameworks will be put to the test in each city's Local Digital Twin (LDT) set-up and will evolve through this practical use. The insights will be captured in the T4R Starter Kit, which will be developed into a Joint T4R Handbook, published at the end of the project.
Pilot Action Plans & Training Programme
In the DKSR workshop, partners began drafting their Pilot Action Plans (PAPs) - not as full LDT designs, but as living documents outlining current progress, next steps, and how these align with the four T4R Frameworks through one real-world challenge. This keeps the process flexible and locally relevant.
The K8 & HKU workshop focused on shaping the T4R training programme, resulting in:
- A training curriculum
- 72 Micro Learning Units (MLUs) with concept briefs
- A Learning Journey Canvas
- Classroom-ready materials by HKU
- Support for translation
- A certification structure
Broader developments in the LDT landscape
The meeting also touched on wider European efforts. Within Eurocities’ Digital Forum, the Local Digital Twin Lab—led by Barcelona and launched in late 2024—shared its final results. The Lab provides strategic guidance for city leaders and involved cities like Brussels, Lisbon, Utrecht, and others. T4R added value by contributing perspectives on citizen engagement and training, complementing the Lab’s high-level focus.
At the EU level, structural support for LDTs is growing through the EDIC LDT Citiverse, with three tenders (technical specs, smart communities, toolbox) feeding into a future service offer for cities. A consultation will precede membership promotion, with final discussions planned at the Smart City Expo (Barcelona, Nov 2025).
Looking ahead
As we move toward the implementation phase, the focus shifts from frameworks to experimentation, training, and testing. The 8 pilot cities will now begin applying the knowledge and tools developed, while continuously feeding back insights to improve the collective T4R approach.
A big thank you to everyone who contributed to making the Dublin meeting such a dynamic and productive event. We look forward to the next steps and to continuing this shared journey toward more inclusive, ethical, and technically sound digital transitions in our cities.
