We create demand driven Forerunner Groups

Demand-driven support groups for cities by cities.

While talking with the 72 member cities recruited during the CELSIUS Project, we noticed that the main challenges for cities are not to find the right technical solutions; but to develop sustainable business models, financial instruments, integrated planning, policy & regulations as well as stakeholder engagement. Challenges that are very dependent on the local demand, thus the barriers to pass before realisation of a DHC investment shows a great variance from city to city, from project to project.

To meet this challenge, we will create demand driven Forerunner Groups, and match cities based on their perceived issues and problems so they can jointly find solutions around a common challenge with support from experts form the Celsius network. To determine the most relevant focus areas for these groups, we will start by doing in-depth interviews with at least 30 cities between December 2019 and January 2020.

Tailored support actions

For each group a tailored program with support actions will be developed and continuously updated. The program will pay extra attention on the needs in carefully selected spearhead cities. These cities are expected to show noticeable progress in the realisation process within two years and have capacity for mass deployment of DHC. Ideally six cities are involved in each group, whereof one spearhead city, and 5 groups in total. The groups will meet regularly in conjunction with other intra-group and public support activities such as webinars and workshops.

If you are a city representative and are interesting in doing an interview and eventually joining a forerunner group, please contact emilia.pisani@johannebergsciencepark.com.