Periodic Reporting for period 1 - UR-DATA (Twinning for excellence in Smart and Resilient Urban Development: Advanced Data Analytics Approach)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2022-07-01 al 2023-09-30
The project aims to strengthen significantly the research capacity and scientific excellence at the Faculty of Economics, University of Niš (FEUN) by enhancing networking activities with Poliedra - Polytechnic University of Milan (POLIEDRA) and Oslo Metropolitan University (OSLOMET) in the field of smart and resilient urban and regional development using state-of-the-art data analytics and optimization tools in a data-rich environment. This is to be achieved through the following objectives:
- Enhancing the scientific capacity of FEUN by establishing a Laboratory of Land Economy and Urban Analytics (LEUA) at FEUN where the researchers from POLIEDRA and OSLOMET will perform training activities, transfer knowledge and best practices, conduct
workshops and seminars aimed to include early-stage researchers and FEUN staff;
- Raising the research profile of FEUN staff through strengthening research experience and collaborative research and joint papers with researchers from leading European universities;
- Creating a long-term scientific strategy of FEUN for stepping up and stimulating scientific excellence in the field of smart and resilient urban development analysis using contemporary quantitative tools of data analytics;
- Enhancing career prospects for early-stage researchers, through short-term exchanges, workshops, seminars, and summer schools, with renowned researchers in the field;
-Strengthening administrative and project management skills of staff at FEUN, by establishing a Project Management unit to deal exclusively with the preparation of project proposals, administration, and financial management of projects.
The project addresses the specific challenge of enhancing networking activities between a research institution from the widening country and two internationally leading European counterparts. By strengthening the research management and administrative skills of the coordination institution from the WB country, the project will help raise its research profile.
- Enhancing the scientific capacity of FEUN by establishing a Laboratory of Land Economy and Urban Analytics (LEUA) at FEUN where the researchers from POLIEDRA and OSLOMET will perform training activities, transfer knowledge and best practices, conduct
workshops and seminars aimed to include early-stage researchers and FEUN staff;
- Raising the research profile of FEUN staff through strengthening research experience and collaborative research and joint papers with researchers from leading European universities;
- Creating a long-term scientific strategy of FEUN for stepping up and stimulating scientific excellence in the field of smart and resilient urban development analysis using contemporary quantitative tools of data analytics;
- Enhancing career prospects for early-stage researchers, through short-term exchanges, workshops, seminars, and summer schools, with renowned researchers in the field;
-Strengthening administrative and project management skills of staff at FEUN, by establishing a Project Management unit to deal exclusively with the preparation of project proposals, administration, and financial management of projects.
The project addresses the specific challenge of enhancing networking activities between a research institution from the widening country and two internationally leading European counterparts. By strengthening the research management and administrative skills of the coordination institution from the WB country, the project will help raise its research profile.
The direction of scientific excellence development can be observed twofold. One will focus on creating an analytical framework for data collection. Through the analysis of best practices in Italy and Norway, a set of relevant indicators is to be collected and monitored to establish a system that allows scientifically based assessment of sustainability policies of urban areas in Serbia. Laboratory for Land Economics and Urban Analytics was established in the FEUN, aimed to fill the lack of data of the official statistics at the sub-national level, especially regarding environmental indicators, indicators of technological progress and innovation, but also the perceptions of urban dwellers and cultural interaction. The second will focus on the development of knowledge and tools to support the analysis of data-rich environments such as urban areas. Twinning partners, internationally leading research institutions, will help to clearly outline the scientific strategy for stepping up and stimulating scientific excellence and innovation capacity at FEUN, as well as the scientific quality through twinning exercises with partners. This scientific strategy will include arrangements for formulating new joint research projects in the field of advanced data analytics of urban data and smart and resilient development policies.
The project is dedicated to promoting the involvement of early-stage researchers at FEUN (summer schools, invited speakers and training program for PhD students, mentoring and networking activities). Collaboration with EU partners, and leading institutions in this field, enhance the scientific excellence of research and contributes to the achievement of project objectives. Also, through this cooperation, more information on urban problems in post-transition countries will be made available to EU partner institutions, which will increase their experience and competencies in this segment. Thus, the Project outcomes are expected to contribute to (1) Improved excellence capacity and resources of FEUN; (2) Enhanced strategic networking activities between FEUN and two leading institutions such as POLIEDRA and OSLOMET; (3) Raised reputation, research profile and attractiveness of FEUN and the research profile of its staff in the field of urban analytics and smart and resilient urban development.; (4) Strengthened research management capacities and administrative skills of the staff at FEUN; and (5) Improved research creativity at FEUN supported by development of new approaches in R&I collaboration and increased mobility of qualified scientists and researchers, especially between FEUN and POLIEDRA and OSLOMET. Activities to be conducted to achieve the above outcomes should include the following: short-term staff exchanges; expert visits and short-term on-site trainings, workshops, conference attendance, organisation of joint researches, joint papers and dissemination and outreach activities. Finally, the project activities will contribute to internationally leading partners as well, through the acquisition of new ideas for future project research, and based on experiences with urban problems specific to post-transition countries.
The project is dedicated to promoting the involvement of early-stage researchers at FEUN (summer schools, invited speakers and training program for PhD students, mentoring and networking activities). Collaboration with EU partners, and leading institutions in this field, enhance the scientific excellence of research and contributes to the achievement of project objectives. Also, through this cooperation, more information on urban problems in post-transition countries will be made available to EU partner institutions, which will increase their experience and competencies in this segment. Thus, the Project outcomes are expected to contribute to (1) Improved excellence capacity and resources of FEUN; (2) Enhanced strategic networking activities between FEUN and two leading institutions such as POLIEDRA and OSLOMET; (3) Raised reputation, research profile and attractiveness of FEUN and the research profile of its staff in the field of urban analytics and smart and resilient urban development.; (4) Strengthened research management capacities and administrative skills of the staff at FEUN; and (5) Improved research creativity at FEUN supported by development of new approaches in R&I collaboration and increased mobility of qualified scientists and researchers, especially between FEUN and POLIEDRA and OSLOMET. Activities to be conducted to achieve the above outcomes should include the following: short-term staff exchanges; expert visits and short-term on-site trainings, workshops, conference attendance, organisation of joint researches, joint papers and dissemination and outreach activities. Finally, the project activities will contribute to internationally leading partners as well, through the acquisition of new ideas for future project research, and based on experiences with urban problems specific to post-transition countries.
Thematic research will be towards filling the existing gap of urban data analytics in Western Balkan (covering Serbia) and will include urban mobility, smart urban economy, assessment of urban policies and risk of flooding in urban areas using MCDM, smart governance for urban circular water use, spatial accessibility and inequality, and urban dynamics.