From 6 to 8 May, the ASCEND project participated in the Cities Mission Conference 2025 in Vilnius, contributing to high-level discussions on the future of climate-neutral cities and showcasing its progress in implementing Positive Clean Energy Districts. Representatives from ASCEND cities Munich, Stockholm, and Prague—Stefan Synek, Lisa Enarsson, and Jaromir Beranek—actively took part in the programme, sharing valuable local perspectives throughout the sessions.
Turning Positive Energy Districts into Practice
On the first day, ASCEND representatives Philippe Fournand and Dr. Stefan Synek joined the panel "Positive Energy Districts – Outcomes, Challenges and Future Prospects." Alongside other EU-funded PED projects, the session explored key outcomes, shared lessons learned, and highlighted what is needed to scale PCEDs across Europe. Attendees were invited to visit the joint PED stand – that NEUTRALPATH, TIPS4PED, ExPEDite, and BIPED were part of, where ASCEND connected with stakeholders and demonstrated how cities are translating PCED concepts into practice.
Cities Leading the Energy Transition
On the second day, ASCEND (Veronika Cerna and Philippe Fournand) participated in the session "Energy Systems in Transition: Peer-to-Peer Cities Exchange," which brought together cities and technical experts to exchange on urban energy planning, district heating, electrification, citizen-powered communities, and more. Through focused breakout discussions, participants reflected on current urban energy strategies, practical challenges, and emerging opportunities. ASCEND shared its integrated, city-led approach to urban transformation and contributed to a constructive and open dialogue.
Scaling Up What Works
The final day of the conference followed our participation in the Scalable Cities workshop "Scaling Up Climate Innovations in Cities: Lessons Learned from 10 Years of Smart Cities and Communities Projects." The session presented initial findings from replication assessments led by AIT and outlined forward-looking proposals from the Scalable Cities Business Models and Financing Group that ASCEND will be contributing to. Conversations focused on how to amplify tested smart city solutions and unlock investment for long-term impact.
ASCEND continued its engagement at the joint PED stand, exchanging knowledge with partners, cities, and fellow projects committed to advancing Positive Clean Energy Districts and overcoming shared barriers.
Strengthening Collaboration Across Europe
An important outcome of the conference was the signature of a Manifesto of Collaboration between Scalable Cities and Net Zero Cities. This agreement reinforces the Memorandum of Understanding signed between ASCEND and NetZeroCities at the Smart City Expo World Congress in 2024. Both initiatives share a common goal: strengthening coordination, enhancing impact, and accelerating the deployment of climate solutions across Europe’s cities.
The Cities Mission Conference 2025 marked an important moment for ASCEND to contribute to shared learning, connect with mission-driven peers, and help shape the future of climate-neutral cities.