HORIZON-EIC-2023-iCapitalPrize - The European Capital of Innovation Awards
EU Prizes: Application form (prizes) The European Capital of Innovation Awards: V1.0 – 08.03.2023
available to Cork City Council staff who can book through an online system.
Cork City Council has also established a cargo bike fleet ‘library’ which is available to businesses and community groups who can borrow a bike for six months on a trial scheme to see if a cargo bike can be used on a daily basis as an alternative to other modes of transport before they invest heavily themselves. Cork City Council also utilises cargo bikes for use within the City Council across various departments. This project was initially funded through the National Innovation Fund.
Innovative and Sustainable Management of Invasive Species
Cork City Council has embraced a no-tech innovative solution for the management of non-native invasive species in a disused limestone quarry south of the city. A team of eight goats has been deployed at Beaumont Quarry to help manage non-native vegetation. The eco- friendly land management initiative is a partnership between Cork Nature Network and Cork City Council. The goats are fenced in so they can focus on the problem areas within the quarry as they eat what most animals won’t eat, work in rougher terrain, along riverbanks, and on steep slopes without causing damage to the environment.
The goats offer an opportunity to educate and demonstrate the implementation of essential conservation practices and local schools are invited to watch and learn about local conservation management. Cork City Council are looking at other areas where the goats can be deployed as part of a wider conservation programme.
Cork City GBi Strategy
The Cork City GBi Strategy (2021) is a vision and framework document for delivering Green and Blue Infrastructure in the city. The strategy is framed by international, national, and regional policy objectives and the UN sustainable development goals. In developing and delivering the strategy, Cork City Council are the first Local Authority in Ireland to integrate an evidence-based and granular GBi strategy into a city or county Land Use and Development Plan. Its core objective is to support and utilise GBI to enhance the urban context, delivering on the commitments listed in Cork City’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. The Cork City GBI Study has been transposed into the Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028 including the planning and delivery of 21 new City Scale GBI projects and new Development Management standards for protecting Watercourse corridors, Landscape protection and Biodiversity enrichment. ADVANCING THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION USING INNOVATIVE CONCEPTS, PROCESSES, AND TOOLS FOR A SMART, SUSTAINABLE, INCLUSIVE CITY. As part of the EU City Mission, Cork City is committed to developing a Climate Neural and Smart City. The remainder of this section will highlight some of the achievements to date in delivering a smarter and more digitally enabled city. Cork City Council believes in the value of digitizing services but recognizes that not all our citizens have the confidence, infrastructure, or digital skills to engage online. For this reason, our digital services are an alternative method for engaging with the city council but traditional means of engagement including in-person, post and telephone still exist for citizens accessing services.
Cork C ity’s Digital Strategy
Cork City Council has led the development of Cork City’s first Digital Strategy in consultation with city contributors and following the European Commission’s Digital Cities Challenge programme. This three - year strategy, which conclu des in December 2023, aspires to make Cork ‘the connected city.’ It aims to enhance the quality of life of our citizens and promote economic development through digital transformation.
This strategy contains 77 actions and centres around four key ambition s to enhance Cork City’s digital maturity sustainably. These ambitions were developed with city stakeholders and include:
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Enhancing Digital Inclusion and Digital Skills.
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