The European Investment Bank and the Croatian Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds have joined forces to organise a full day conference on smart investment entitled
‘Investment platforms to support smart cities and islands in Europe’
on 17 June 2019 in the Arsenal building, located on the beautiful island of Hvar in Croatia.
Why is the ‘EU Bank’ organizing a conference on smart and sustainable urban investments? Over the last decades, cities have been growing in terms of population and economy much more than the rest of the territory in Europe and have become true competitiveness, trade and high-end service hubs. However, cities also face difficult challenges, including social exclusion, budget cuts and pollution. The projected increase in urban population over the coming decades further accentuates these opportunities and challenges as a model of successful urban regeneration.
There is a clear case for investment in urban areas in Europe. The financial crisis of 2008 took a heavy toll on public investment and continues to affect the municipal level today, hence increasing the role of public banks such as the EIB, which has a wealth of experience with various types of municipal projects and diverse financing structures. EIB is uniquely positioned to provide a platform for experience and best practice sharing.
With our full-day conference, we are looking to spur a momentum towards smart cities and smart islands development. High-level panellists will elaborate how smart investment can address the existing infrastructure gaps and unlock innovative project solutions. The conference will include a presentation on the emerging Croatian Smart Cities and Islands investment platform. Topics include smart city initiatives, investment platforms, financial instruments including grant combinations, project preparation, advisory services, technical assistance and new sources of financing.
The language of the conference is English with simultaneous translation into Croatian. The programme can be consulted below.
To attend this event, please register online. Registered participants will receive a confirmation of their registration, including some practical details.
For more information on this event, please contact events@eib.org
More information about your arrival to Hvar can be found here.
