Domain: Fostering institutional engagement and change
Action: Centro de Innovación en Tecnología para el Desarrollo Humano of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (itdUPM) working with City of Madrid, EIT Climate-KIC, private and third sector stakeholders to address climate change in Madrid as part of EIT Climate-KIC’s Healthy Clean Cities Deep Demonstration programme.
- EIT Climate-KIC Deep Demonstrations: launched in 2019, these large-scale, multi-city initiatives act as testbeds for the 1.5C-consistent systems transitions called for by the IPCC, European policymakers and EIT Climate-KIC’s own strategy and Theory of Change. Building on our 10-year track record of climate innovation in cities, industry, land-use and finance, we designed this programme as an experimental approach to whole-systems transitions, in which projects across multiple domains test innovative approaches and generate actionable learnings about how change happens in specific contexts. Together, these projects form a coherent portfolio which are intended to amplify transformation towards a climate-neutral future.
Best practice title: Operationalising cross-sector collaboration for climate transformation.
An innovative, collaborative, multistakeholder organisational model was codesigned and implemented by itdUPM. It is based on findings of SDG orientated collaborations literature, itdUPM’s practical experience of orchestrating multi-stakeholder environments and is anchored in EIT Climate KIC’s Transformation in Time organisational strategy.
Best practice summary: itdUPM are a co-lead partner with the City of Madrid, in the Madrid Healthy Clean Cities Deep Demonstration. They have developed a successful multi-actor governance model which can be replicated by other city-university-business-citizen partnerships. Providing an organisational structure, services to enable learning, and information exchange and co-creation, this governance model is designed to be sufficiently flexible and agile to accommodate new projects, stakeholders, priorities and workstreams, at various levels, as the Deep Demonstration progresses. It also includes a suite of training courses to ensure the quick assimilation of newcomers into the Deep Demonstration.
By whom: itdUPM (http://www.itd.upm.es/?lang=en) is an interdisciplinary centre of the Polytechnic University of Madrid, bringing together researchers, professors and students to address the Sustainable Development Goals. itdUPM works in collaboration with specialists from various areas of expertise, the public and private sectors, civil society organisations and governments to address complex problems related to sustainability and to co-create practical solutions. The itdUPM community has more than 200 members, including professors, researchers, students and external consultants. In addition, there are several affiliated UPM research and cooperation groups. This wide network enables the Madrid Healthy Clean Cities Deep Demonstration to tap into a wealth of specialist knowledge and learning opportunities.
Key ingredients/ description: itdUPM provides a “connecting tissue” and knowledge transfer hub to stimulate, accelerate and sustain transformative collaboration among different disciplines and actors within the Deep Demonstration. It contributes technical and technological expertise but also collaborates with other Deep Demonstration partners on finance, policy and regulation, participation and engagement, etc. This ensures the smooth functioning of the partnership network, implementation of the agreed work plan and related outputs and deliverables (together with the city of Madrid).
Context: City of Madrid, Spain, within the EIT Climate-KIC Healthy Clean Cities Deep Demonstration programme. Madrid became one of the original 10 cities in the Healthy Clean Cities programme in Summer 2019, and has been working with us on the Deep Demonstration since Autumn 2019.
itdUPM has been a key partner in this process, acting as local connector for the Deep Demonstration in Madrid. The itdUPM team have supported the City Council staff and leadership to engage with the Deep Demonstration programme, and they created a design platform for a first wave portfolio of interventions to address the climate crisis, over and above (but aligned with) policies and plans already underway in the city (Plan A, Madrid 360, Acuerdos de la Villa, Decarbonisation Roadmap). This first wave Deep Demonstration portfolio focuses on three workstreams: regulatory innovation, nature-based solutions/urban greening and sustainable mobility innovation. Together, partners in the programme are refining these workstreams and are seeking to fund implementation through a mix of public and private sources.
Audiences: University students and staff, city, public, private and third sectors, citizens.
The following articles explain idtUPM’s approach in more detail:
- http://www.revistasice.com/index.php/ICE/article/view/7210/7285
- https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/17/7189
- https://sdg-action.org/accelerating-transformative-partnerships-through-incubators/
Key success factors/ how to replicate:
- Success factors: willingness and ability by key stakeholders, including itdUPM and the city, to work across subject, sectoral and professional boundaries towards a common goal of climate neutrality and resilience. Willingness to collaborate, sharing information and learning with other organisations, universities, cities, businesses, NGOs and individuals. Willingness and ability to engage with unusual actors and adopt new ways to collaborate and learn.
- Contact person: Silvia Doglioni eit-hei@climate-kic.org
Keywords (at least 5): University public sector and private sector collaboration, decarbonisation, climate change, healthy, sustainable, resilient cities.