D3.7 Impact and major lessons of the PED Innovation Ateliers in the Lighthouse cities and Fellow cities

Summary:

The ATELIER project aims to support the development of Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) in Lighthouse Cities (Amsterdam and Bilbao) and their replication in six Fellow Cities (Bratislava, Budapest Copenhagen, Krakow, Matosinhos and Riga). In this context, the Innovation Ateliers (IA) have played a central role in fostering collaboration, learning and replication of best practices supporting Energy transition and climate efforts.

Building on previous deliverables (D.3.6 and D.3.8), this report assesses the impact and key lessons from IA implementation in both the Lighthouse Cities and the Fellow Cities. While the initial scope of M&E activities did not include the Fellow Cities, their inclusion became essential to facilitate cross-city learning, allowing them to benefit from the insights developed by LCs. Additionally, the results generated by the Fellow Cities provided additional examples and allowed for the identification of common IA patterns across the cities. This deliverable examines the evolution of the IA through the Establishing, Maturation, and Stabilisation stages, with a particular focus on Stabilisation and plans for long-term continuation.

Reflective Monitoring has evolved into an embedded methodology, allowing for realtime learning and adaptation. Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) framework has demonstrated its relevance in supporting the cities in increasing the impact of their IA, in foster cross learning and replication of best practices. The M&E is structured around six key components (Mission, Value Proposition, Strategic Coordination, Open Innovation Activities, Learning & Diffusion, and Organisational Capacity), as played a crucial role in assessing the IA’s effectiveness and guiding its long-term impact.