On 11 June 2025, InterPED co-organised a joint online workshop titled “Building the Future of Energy: A Joint Workshop on PED Innovation & Collaboration,” in collaboration with four Horizon Europe cluster projects—ASCEND, PEDvolution, HARMONISE, and NEUTRALPATH. Supported by the Scalable Cities Secretariat, this successful clustering event attracted 50 participants and created a vibrant space for sharing strategies, tools, and experiences on implementing Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) across Europe.
The event opened with a presentation of the Scalable Cities Initiative and an introduction to the PED Cluster. This provided a shared frame for collaboration and highlighted the community of Lighthouse and Fellow Cities working together toward urban decarbonisation.
Each of the five participating projects presented its unique approaches and early results.
Project presentations covered technical approaches, citizen engagement methodologies, pilot activities, and data-driven tools for planning and operating PEDs.
Following the presentations, a thematic panel discussion brought together representatives from all five projects to explore key innovation and policy topics. The discussion was structured around five core themes:
- What are PEDs in practice? – HARMONISE
- Strategies for implementation and monitoring – InterPED
- Community engagement and social innovation – PEDvolution
- Business model experiences – ASCEND
- Recommendations to policymakers and cities – NEUTRALPATH
The panel fostered an open exchange of insights on how to overcome barriers to PED replication, enable community participation, and align project results with local governance models and European policy frameworks.
The session concluded with a Q&A, reinforcing the value of cross-project collaboration. The highlights from the recording of the event will soon be available on the InterPED YouTube channel.
This workshop marks a significant milestone in strengthening ties between EU-funded PED initiatives, setting the stage for future joint publications, policy inputs, and coordinated dissemination actions.