Nikolaos
Kontinakis
Validated Lead Expert
Generic Skills
B.1. Understanding of integrated and sustainable urban development:
I have worked as an expert contributing to sustainable urban development for the last 10 years. Starting as a consultant in Greece, I worked with Greek cities and regions in their effort to develop climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies and plans as well as design and implement energy efficiency measures and projects. Then, for the last six years, my work in EUROCITIES has focused exclusively on the efforts of major European cities to understand, design and implement integrated approaches and projects for their sustainable development. This effort has also included a strong focus on the adoption and deployment of digital tools and solutions, what is collectively put under the umbrella of "smart cities".
B.2. Understanding of exchange and learning processes at transnational level:
For the last 15 years, I have worked in several exchange and learning processes at transnational level. These have taken place with the involvement of various levels of government and different stakeholders, thus, creating the experience of working in almost any exchange and learning setting and context. As an example, from 2005 to 2009, I worked in transnational activities that involved national government agencies and universities from all Black Sea countries. From 2010 to 2013, I worked with sub-national governments and agencies from EU countries and from 2013 to now, I have worked with sub-national governments, universities and private stakeholders in virtually all European countries as well as China.
B.3. Proficiency in English:
For the last 15 years, my tasks have been carried out almost exclusively in English. This work includes both oral and written communication and activities. In the former, one could put the hundreds of meetings, events, and training activities with some degree of active participation from my side. In the latter, several reports and project deliverables that cover many topics and purposes. Recent samples of the written material include the reports and communication material from the GuiDanCe project (http://www.greendigitalcharter.eu/resources/deliverables) and the two guidelines from the URBAN-EU-CHINA project (http://www.eurocities.eu/eurocities/news/New-knowledge-on-sustainable-urbanisation-from-our-EU-China-projects-WSPO-B9TBYM).
Expertise for the design and delivery of transnational exchange and learning activities:
Summary Expertise for the design and delivery of transnational exchange and learning activities:
In the last 15 years, I have worked extensively in the design, coordination and delivery of high-quality transnational exchange and learning activities that range from the level of working meetings between project partners up to ministerial and national government meetings. Especially in the last 6 years, I have worked with most major European cities in the design and organisation of knowledge exchange activities that aim to foster the sustainable development of cities. Experience with a wide range of methodologies (Peer-to-peer learning, training, knowledge cafes and workshops, roundtables, working meetings, etc.) and mediums (physical meetings, visits, online media, publications, awards, etc.) guarantee that the proper mix of activities and methodologies can be employed to reach the desired outcomes.
In these years I have worked with most European countries, the countries of the Black Sea and Caucasus and China.
Thematic expertise:
Theme / Policy:
Environmental Issues
Summary Thematic expertise:
For the last 15 years I have worked in a wide area of environmental issues with a focus on climate change mitigation and adaptation, sustainable urban development strategies and how they use use energy efficiency, renewables as well as innovation and digital technologies to be implemented. These topics found their "melting pot" in the Covenant of Mayors, in the frame of which I have worked or contributed to the Covenant of Mayors Office, projects like SEAP+ and the delivery of several SEAPs for Greek municipalities.
Theme / Policy:
Urban Strategic Planning
Summary Thematic expertise:
For the last 10 years I have worked in a wide area of strategic initiatives and projects with the aim of helping European cities prepare and implement better integrated and sustainable urban strategies and action plans. I have coordinated the Green Digital Charter initiative through which 54 major European cities have committed themselves to working together to deliver on the EU's objective of expanding the use of digital technologies that improve the life of their citizens and address the challenges of growth, sustainability and resilience. I have worked as part of the EUROCITIES team to bring the issues of smart cities, climate change, sustainable mobility, social innovation and circular economy at the centre of urban strategies and plans. Finally, I helped Green local and regional governments deliver several SEAP - following their Covenant of Mayors commitments - or include the issues of energy efficiency and climate change in their strategic plans.
Theme / Policy:
Research, Innovation and Knowledge Economy
Summary Thematic expertise:
For the last 6 years I have worked in a wide area of initiatives and projects with the aim of helping European cities understand and better work with research, innovation and knowledge economy topics. I have coordinated the Green Digital Charter initiative through which 54 major European cities have committed themselves to working together to deliver on the EU's objective of expanding the use of digital technologies that improve the life of their citizens and address the challenges of growth, sustainability and resilience. In addition, since 2013 I have worked with the EUROCITIES Knowledge Society Forum in which more than 50 European cities meet three times per year to discuss, promote and exchange experiences and lessons learnt on topics like open data, standards and interchangeability, e-government and digital public services, innovation ecosystems and incubators, etc. At the same time, I have worked in projects and project proposals that look at the topics of social innovation, the future European R&I agenda and new and disruptive technologies. Finally, for the last three years I am representing EUROCITIES in the meetings of CEN/CENELEC/ETSI on the topics of smart cities and citizens.
Expertise support to local authorities and other stakeholders in designing & delivering integrated and participatory policies
E.1. Knowledge on participatory methods and tools for co-production and implementation of local polices :
In CITYkeys project (http://www.citykeys-project.eu/) I was part of the core team that designed the workshops that the 5 partner cities needed to organise in order to get input from local stakeholders about performance measurement in the context of smart cities. Then, to evaluate how the selected indicators resonated with the same stakeholders.
In TRANS-URBAN-EU-CHINA (http://transurbaneuchina.eu/) I am part of the core team that will try to set-up and experiment Urban Living Labs in Chinese cities on the theme of "socially integrative cities".
In 2019, a project proposal - of a consortium led by POLIMI - was submitted in a respective Horizon 2020 call. Representing EUROCITIES, I proposed and drafted (and if the proposal is successful, lead) a Work Package in which the consortium promises to triangulate evidence from data, bottom-up initiatives and top-down policies to produce policy recommendations and strategies on how European cities can reduce socio-economic inequalities.
E.2. Knowledge on integrated approach for the design, delivering, monitoring and evaluation of urban strategies/policies:
In CITYkeys project (http://www.citykeys-project.eu/) I was part of the team that designed, developed and validated, with the aid of 5 European cities, key performance indicators and data collection procedures for the common and transparent monitoring as well as the comparability of smart city solutions across European cities. In addition, I created the necessary links for the uptake of the framework by ETSI that resulted in the publication of the TS 103 463 that defines indicators for smart cities in Europe.
In GuiDanCe project (http://www.greendigitalcharter.eu/), I designed and coordinated, in 2015 (http://www.greendigitalcharter.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/FINAL-GDC-Monitoring-Report.pdf) and 2017(http://www.greendigitalcharter.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/GDC-Monitoring-2018-Web.pdf) the compilation of two monitoring reports for the signatories of the Green Digital Charter initiative. The reports aimed to present an overview of the signatory cities' steps and progress towards meeting their GDC commitments.
E.3. Awareness of the main policy and funding schemes for sustainable urban development at EU and national level:
Being part of the EUROCITIES team and network means that there is constant exposure knowledge inflow for all recent policy developments both in EU and local levels. Participation in events and meetings that take place in Brussels are an additional piece of the puzzle. Newsletters, project reports and white papers offer more specific knowledge and insights. Project work and participation in strategic initiatives (CoM, EIP SCC, Urban Agenda, GDC, EMW, EUSEW, etc.) is an indispensable source of knowledge. One of the EUROCITIES services to member-cities is updating them about new funding opportunities and calls for proposals/tenders, an update that is also circulated and presented internally. Finally, the almost 20 EUROCITIES member meetings that take place annually offer a first-class opportunity for an interactive and bi-directional flow of information and knowledge about sustainable urban development.
E.4. Ability to understand specific local situations and adapt tools and content to different local realities:
The example I would like to mention is the compilation (as the main and in some cases the only author) of the Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP) for 10 different Greek municipalities in the period 2011-2013. Although all of them had to follow the Covenant of Mayors templates and recommendations, each one was highly customised and adapted to the local situation, realities, priorities and capabilities. All 10 Action Plans were successfully submitted to and accepted by the Covenant of Mayors (JRC).
Summary Expertise:
For the last 10 years I have worked in with local governments in designing and delivering integrated and participatory policies that cover many aspects of their sustainable development. My focus has been mainly on the areas of climate change, green energy and energy transition, and the smart cities and digitisation. In all cases, design and delivery of tools and policy recommendations have been adapted to the local situation, realities, priorities and capabilities. An important aspect of my experience relates to the monitoring and evaluation of urban strategies and policies. Thus, the process of design -> implementation -> monitoring/evaluation -> design can come full circle.
Informations
Residence location:
Belgium
Languages:
Greek - Mother tongue
Foreign Languages level:
Foreign languages:
Foreign Languages level:
Foreign languages:
Email:
nikolaos.kontinakis@eurocities.eu