ATHENS, GREECE – On January 21, 2026, the SpurUP project officially launched with a two-day kick-off meeting in Athens, bringing together a powerful consortium of 34 partners from 11 European countries. Funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme, this 40-month initiative is set to redefine the sustainability and resilience of peri-urban regions through innovative technology and participatory governance.
Peri-urban areas (the vital transition zones between cities and rural landscapes) often face complex challenges, including fragmented governance and significant environmental pressures. SpurUP aims to tackle these issues head-on by integrating net-zero technologies and facilitating Local Green Deals by connecting industries with city authorities, businesses, and policymakers in a shared mission to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency.
Innovation in Action: Living Labs and Replication
The project will implement and test its solutions across 3 cities:
- Thessaloniki, Greece
- Aalborg, Denmark
- Jesi, Italy
These sites will serve as living labs by testing the grounds for digital tools and technical solutions tailored to regional needs. To ensure scalability, the project also includes three other cities as replication sites: Stara Zagora (Bulgaria), Tulcea (Romania), and Bristol (UK).
Leadership Perspectives
Antonis Peppas – Project Coordinator (National Technical University of Athens – NTUA): “SPURUP brings together communities, infrastructure, expertise, and business support within a sustainable innovation environment, accelerating the deployment of circular and climate-neutral solutions in peri-urban regions.”
Sotiria Panakoulia – Exploitation Manager (PwC): “SpurUP is redefining what’s possible for peri‑urban regions by enabling practical, scalable climate‑neutral solutions, and PwC Greece is proud to contribute toward turning these innovations into sustainable pathways that will guide regions across Europe into the future.”
A Collaborative Future
The kick-off meeting featured a comprehensive review of the project’s actions, covering everything from stakeholder engagement and digital tool development, to technical solution implementation and monitoring. The consortium concluded the event with a technical round table to finalize the action plan for the project’s first six months.
For more information and updates, please follow the SpurUP LinkedIn page or visit our website.
Media Contacts
Ellie Shtereva · Project Manager @F6S · ellie@f6s.com
Maria Teixeira · Communication Manager @F6S · mariafm@f6s.com
About SpurUP: SpurUP is a Horizon Europe project (Project No. 101239566) dedicated to creating resilient, climate-neutral peri-urban regions. The consortium includes 34 partners across 11 countries, including universities, technology providers, local authorities, and NGOs.
EU Disclaimer: Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.