5th Exchange Meeting of EU and Japanese Cities

20 November 2019 | Brussels, Belgium

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Moderated by: Prof. Hidefumi Imura, Project Coordinator of the IUC-Japan

• Welcome and opening: Rudolf Niessler, Principal Advisor for International Relations, DG-REGIO, European Commission
• Opening address: Akira Kono, Ambassador, Deputy Head of Mission of Japan to the European Union
  
  

Moderated by: Prof. Hidefumi Imura, Project Coordinator of the IUC-Japan | presentation (pdf)

Keynote speech: Giorgia Rambelli, IUC-Coordinating Unit, “Where we are in the IUC programme and what we are expected to do. | presentation (pdf)

The project activities of IUC Japan and other IUC regions are reviewed and commented focusing on the next steps to be taken, followed by Q&A

• Extension of the programme until the end of 2020
• Mutual learning and knowledge sharing: Visits for study tour, Exchange Meetings, etc.
• Project output: Urban Cooperation Action Plans and Knowledge Sharing Platform
• Future perspectives of the IUC and cooperation of EU and Japanese cities
  
  

Moderated by: Lena Lindahl, IUC-Japan pairing coordinator for Umea and Kamakura and Turk and Nagano-Obuse

Keynote speech:  Sandra Marin, IUC Local Action Plan Task Force, “General observation on the plans submitted from the viewpoint of U-CAP objectives and methodologies”, followed by presentation of action plans | presentation (pdf)

The five pairings joined in 2017 (listed below) are requested to present their action plans, highlighting “main activities and key outputs” and “expected results-benefits.”

The five pairings joined in 2017:

• City of Frankfurt and City of Yokohama for “smart cities” | presentation (pdf)
• City of Essen and City of Koriyama for “clean technology and renewable energy” | presentation (pdf)
• City of Donostia-San Sebastian and City of Hirosaki for “buildings and site regeneration” | presentation (pdf)
• City of Ancona and City of Ikoma for “clean energy, social inclusion, and healthy cities” | presentation (pdf)
• City of Ioannina and City of Ichinomiya for “sustainable mobility and transport” | presentation (pdf)

Moderated by: Yatsuka Kataoka, IUC-Japan pairing coordinator for Ancona-Ikoma and Marseille-Kobe.

The three pairings joined in 2018 will report the cooperation activities focusing on the development of action plans: theme of cooperation, key challenges, main activities and key outputs envisaged. The two pairings newly aligned in 2019 will introduce the basic feature of each city, cooperation subjects and implementation plans.

The three pairings joined in 2018:

• City of Bratislava and City of Tokorozawa for “climate change adaptation, urban nature-based solutions, and smart eco-city development.” | presentation (pdf)
• Metropole of Grenoble-Alpes and City of Toyota for “smart city development” | presentation (pdf)
• City of Umea and City of Kamakura for “smart cities, social inclusion and the integration of SDGs” | presentation (pdf)

The two pairings newly joined in 2019:

• City of Marseille and City of Kobe for “port regeneration and sustainable economic development” | presentation (pdf)

• City of Turku and City of Nagano and Obuse Town for “integration of urban-rural circular economy in food-water-energy nexus”  | presentation (pdf)
  
  

Moderated by:  Prof. Hidefumi Imura, Project Coordinator of the IUC-Japan

Participants are free to raise any issues concerning the IUC project. Suggestions for improvement based on their experience is appreciated. Discussion topics may include but not limited to the followings:

• U-CAP and its implementation
• Next steps and schedules in 2020
• Pilot projects to be created
• New approaches: city-to-city cooperation and thematic clustering approach