The event marked the official opening of the SUSCOMNET (project ID: 101138675) project. The aim of the initiative is to strengthen cooperation between European municipalities to promote sustainable urban development and community participation, in line with the principles of the European Green Deal.
The international workshop was opened by Dr. Ernő Görgényi, Mayor of Gyula. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of partnership between municipalities and a shared vision in building a sustainable future. He highlighted that the city of Gyula has achieved a result remarkable even at the European level by winning European Union funding for the development of its town twinning network for the fifth time. He presented the SUSCOMNET project as another milestone in Gyula's strategic thinking and future-oriented community-building efforts.
In his presentation, Tamás Szilágyi, an innovation and urban development expert, highlighted the pivotal role of local "Green Deals" in creating sustainable cities. He pointed out that the integration of innovation and an environmentally conscious approach is a fundamental condition for successful local climate policy measures.
Dr. Fanni Dudok, Assistant Professor at the University of Szeged, discussed the significance of community planning and raising awareness about sustainability, with particular regard to the role of public participation in creating a liveable and inclusive urban environment.
In the second part of the workshop, sustainability expert Attila Nagy introduced the concept of "smart cities". In his presentation, he demonstrated how modern technological solutions can contribute to enhancing sustainability in everyday urban operations, with particular regard to energy efficiency, mobility, and data-driven decision-making.
The representatives of the twin cities – Komárno (Slovakia), Csíkszereda (Romania), Zrenjanin/Nagybecskerek (Serbia), and Wągrowiec (Poland) – presented their municipalities' strategies and best practices related to sustainable development:
In the afternoon session, the project managers and representatives of the twin city delegations participated in an interactive workshop. The aim of the work was to map out future cooperation opportunities, as well as to establish the professional and organizational foundations for the next stages of the project. The participants defined the main directions and content frameworks of the joint research initiative, and furthermore agreed on refining the schedule of the upcoming events.
The workshop contributed significantly to defining the strategic directions of the network, ensuring that project partners work in a coordinated manner on the implementation of local "Green Deals". During the discussions, responsibilities were clarified, coordination mechanisms were harmonized, and it was confirmed that the contribution of every partner municipality would be integrally incorporated into the implementation of the project.
The participants agreed that the event provided professional inspiration and practical momentum for further cooperation. In their shared view, the SUSCOMNET network is capable of achieving tangible results in the field of sustainable urban planning, and of bringing about positive, perceptible change in the daily lives of the involved communities in the long term.
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