From April 17th to 20th, 2024, partners of the EU-funded project SCALE – “Smart City ASEAN Network” gathered in Greece for a series of productive meetings, study visits, and networking activities. Hosted by the University of Thessaly (UTH), partners travelled from Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia in order to attend the study visits. The first day featured a Steering Committee Meeting focused on discussing the progress of the project and the current status of activities as well as set up future and next steps. It was the first time the partnership got to meet face to face. The meeting was followed by a social evening in Larissa that fostered stronger collaboration among participants.
Over the following days, the Consortium explored pioneering smart city initiatives across Greece. On April 18th, partners travelled to Thessaloniki, where they met with municipal representatives and discussed the city’s approach to sustainable and digital transformation. Later on, they visited the Cisco International Center for Digital Transformation and Digital Skills, where they experienced first-hand innovative smart city applications. On April 19th, the group visited Trikala, a city recognized for its smart infrastructure and e-governance initiatives, and also had the opportunity to tour the iconic Meteora monasteries.
The visit concluded on April 20th with a dynamic workshop at University of Thessaly, where partners shared their ongoing work, exchanged experiences, and discussed future collaboration within the SCALE project. The event highlighted the value of cross-cultural and interdisciplinary exchanges in driving forward the vision of smarter, more sustainable cities across ASEAN and the EU.
