Mayor Nikos Georgakos welcomed CIVITEC partners to Preveza City Hall. Partners then saw Novoville in action, following a resident’s report from submission to the local authority’s response. The demonstration showed how digital tools can improve communication between citizens and councils.
Digital services and citizen participation
The programme continued at the Preveza Municipal Gallery “Yannis Moralis”, where partners took part in a thematic workshop on digital services and smart governance.
Iosif Tsimpoukis, Special Adviser to the Mayor of Preveza, presented the municipality’s work to improve its digital services. Dimitrios Gerogiannis, Special Adviser to the Mayor and Founder and Project Director of the Digital Beach Summit, shared the story behind the summit and its role in encouraging discussion about digital and green development.
Andreas Koskeris of CIVITEC partner CTI “Diophantus” presented YourView, a digital platform designed to gather citizen feedback and help public authorities use it to inform policy.
The workshop also looked at developments in artificial intelligence and their potential use within local government. Dimitrios Gerogiannis presented the activities of the Artificial Intelligence Association of Greece, while Dimitris Salmas of the KIC Lab at the University of Ioannina introduced Metacity and its work to support better cities.
Partners then visited two local initiatives to see how participation works in different settings.
At the Hellenic Raiders Club of Preveza, Thanassis Kotsarinis introduced the work of the Hellenic Rescue Commando of Preveza. The visit highlighted the important role played by volunteers in preparing for emergencies and strengthening community resilience.
A second Living Lab took place at the Archaeological Museum of Nicopolis. Anthi Aggeli, Director of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Preveza, explained how the museum and its archaeological collections are being brought closer to local people and visitors.
Taking policy learning out of the meeting room
The second day began with the “I Love Preveza” Floating Policy Lab, which took policy learning out of the meeting room and onto the water.
During the study visit, partners heard about the local natural environment and met representatives of the Preveza Youth Council. The discussions considered how young people can have a stronger voice in local decision-making and how learning activities connected to a specific place can encourage more open and practical conversations.
The partnership also held its Steering Committee and Partner Review Meeting to discuss progress and prepare for the next stage of CIVITEC’s work.
Sharing CIVITEC’s experience at the Digital Beach Summit
The visit coincided with the 3rd Digital Beach Summit, held under the theme “AI and SGC in the Digital & Green Era”. CIVITEC partners joined the wider summit programme, which brought together public authorities, researchers and technology specialists to discuss the move towards a more digital and sustainable future.
During a panel on European best practices, CIVITEC representatives discussed how Interreg Europe helps regions learn from one another and adapt successful approaches to their own policy needs.
The panel included Dr Eleftherios Loizou, Managing Director of the Nicosia Development Agency – ANEL and CIVITEC Lead Partner Coordinator; Clive Peckham, European Projects Manager at Nièvre Numérique; Jose Manuel San Emeterio, Programme Manager at ERNACT; and Professor Chrysostomos Stylios, Director of the Industrial Systems Institute at Athena Research Centre.
The discussion was moderated by Ioanna Papaioannou, an agronomist specialising in the delivery of EU projects with local impact.
Following the panel, Mayor Nikos Georgakos presented a commemorative plaque to the CIVITEC partnership to mark its participation in the summit.
The meeting gave partners several practical examples to take back to their regions, from citizen-reporting platforms and digital public services to community-led emergency response and youth participation. These experiences will contribute to the project’s continuing work to improve regional policies and encourage the use of civic technology across Europe.