Brussels, 06/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - It was the Spanish city of Barcelona which was chosen, on Tuesday 11 March, by the European Commission to become Europe's symbol of innovation for the year 2014 - the “iCapital” of the EU.
In the final stage of the selection procedure, the cities of Grenoble (France) and Groningen (Netherlands) failed to make the weight against the innovative projects undertaken by the municipal council of Barcelona. The Commission fell under the charm of the initiative “Barcelona, a city for its people”, which was launched in September 2011 and is made up of a number of elements - open data initiatives; smart lighting; e-vehicles; residual energy (heating and cooling networks); and social innovation projects. European Commissioner for Research and Innovation Maire Geoghegan-Quinn said: “Barcelona is a deserving winner of the first iCapital award, for its dedication to using new technology for the benefit of its inhabitants”. A small financial boost of €500,000 accompanies the title. (JK)