TiCCA4Danu proposes a novel and comprehensive transformative innovation framework to accelerate just climate change adaptation (CCA) at the level of cities and their surrounding administrative regions. In order to address the structural barriers for CCA implementation at the city-region level, TiCCA4Danu proposes a systems-level approach, which requires effective governance changes, introduction of directionality, and a different use of policy instruments favouring discovery and experimentation processes. TiCCA4Danu directly relates to the EU Cities- and Adaptation Mission frameworks and builds on the emerging literature discussing the opportunities and limitations to governing socio-technical change for addressing grand challenges, such as climate change, through novel transformative approaches. At the core of TiCCA4Danu's methodological approach lies the concept of place-based “Transformative Innovation Policy” (TIP), which postulates a systems-level change perspective in innovation policy. TiCCA4Danu aims at applying the theoretical TIP concept to the city-region level by linking TIP to “Local Green Deals” (LGD), an established instrument for sustainable transformation at the city level, and by complementing the LGDs with a novel approach for transformative CCA at the level of regions. With TIP facilitating wider and inclusive societal transformation, TiCCA4Danu features stronger involvement of vulnerable groups as well as stronger private sector involvement. TiCCA4Danu focussing its activities on four "Anchor Cities" and their surrounding regions in the Danube Macro Region, all constituting different bio-geographical regions, i.e. Coastal, Mountain and Continental. By establishing a direct link to the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) and by working with the relevant Priority Area Working Groups, TiCCA4Danu will scale results up to the Macro-Regional level. Applicability at the EU level will be tested as part of the EU's "Week of Regions and Cities".

GrowSmarter aims to: • Improve the quality of life for European citizens by better mobility, housing and the quality of urban infrastructure while improving the citizens economy by lower energy costs and creating as much as 1500 new jobs (on the demonstration level). • Reduce the environmental impact by lower energy needs by 60 % and increased use of renewable energy thus reducing GHG emissions even more. • Create sustainable economic development by demonstrating and preparing a wider rollout of smart solutions. GrowSmarter will demonstrate at 3 lighthouse cities 12 smart, integrated solutions as a way of preparing for a wider market rollout. These solutions are integrated in specially chosen sites making demonstration easy to reach and take part of for the 5 follower cities and other European and international study groups. All the smart solutions are fit into the Lighthouse-cities strategic development plans and the follower cities replication plans. The solutions solve common urban challenges such as: • Renewal of existing buildings. GrowSmarter demonstrates the cost efficient renewal of 100.000 square meters of Nearly Zero or low energy districts reducing energy demand by 70-90%, • Integrated infrastructures for ICT, street lighting, smart grids district heating and smarter waste handling • Sustainable urban mobility for both passenger and gods integrated in smart grids, biofuels from household waste thus reducing local air quality emissions by 60%. The integration of Cities, strong group of industrial partners together and quality research organisations guarantee that the solutions will be both validated by independent research organisations and transformed into Smart Business Solutions by industry for the wider rollout to Europe. Growsmarter builds on integrated, close to the market solutions, to form business models for their wider deployment by the industrial partners. The project will help Europe GrowSmarter!