The Smart Cities Information System (SCIS) was an initiative supported by the European Commission to consolidate, evaluate, and scale up innovative urban solutions across Europe. Building upon earlier European research initiatives like the CONCERTO series (which originated in 2005), SCIS formally operated from 2014 through 2020 as an open platform connecting municipal leaders, research institutions, industry partners, and project developers.
The project consortium was coordinated by the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), based in Mol, Belgium, and included key pan-European networks such as Eurocities, headquartered in Brussels. Key technical experts, including Han Vandevyvere at VITO, guided the platform’s analytical frameworks.
SCIS operated across three integrated urban pillars: energy efficiency, mobility and transport, and information and communication technology (ICT). Its core methodology centered on collecting, verifying, and standardizing empirical data from demonstration projects funded under the European Union’s 7th Framework Programme and Horizon 2020—including prominent Lighthouse initiatives such as Triangulum and Sharing Cities. Rather than treating pilot projects as isolated experiments, SCIS tracked measurable performance indicators, analyzed regulatory and economic barriers, and evaluated systemic bottlenecks.
The project synthesized these insights into practical tools, publishing thematic guidance booklets (including frameworks for Positive Energy Districts), holding matchmaking webinars, and compiling peer-to-peer case studies to foster replication in other municipalities. In late 2020, following its final conference, SCIS merged with the Marketplace of the European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities (EIP-SCC) to form the unified Smart Cities Marketplace.