From European Visions to Concrete Numbers: The PROMOTER Project Enters Its Implementation Phase
Study visits abroad and strategic planning are behind us. The PROMOTER project, which connects ten European regions to support sustainable mobility and green energy, has officially concluded its first stage (the so-called Core Phase). We are now entering the Follow-up Phase. What does this mean for our partners, and what concrete results are we already putting into practice?
Over the past three years, we have worked within the consortium to analyse the best European practices. We drew inspiration from the demand-responsive transport model in Livorno, Italy, digital energy management in Rēzekne, Latvia, and fair energy sharing in Budapest. Our main goal, however, was never just to write theoretical strategies. We wanted to transfer these models into the real environment of the Czech Republic. The town of Bystřice, our key partner, has thus become a “Municipal Living Lab”, where vision turns into reality through its Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP).
Data that speaks for itself
Moving into the Follow-up Phase means that we are now actively monitoring the measures that have been launched. And the first data show that European inspiration works very well in the Czech context:
- BysBus demand-responsive transport (DDRT): Inspired by Italy and managed by artificial intelligence through the Citya platform, this system has fully replaced inefficient empty buses. Current statistics show more than 1,000 passengers carried per month, with an average walking distance to a “virtual stop” of just 1 minute.
- Energy management: Thanks to the specialised “e-manažer” software and the work of the municipal energy manager, Bystřice now has its data under control in real time. In the monitored period alone, savings of 168.7 MWh were identified and confirmed.
The next period will bring another major step – preparations for establishing a brand-new municipal energy company (s.r.o.), which will enable the development of community energy and the efficient sharing of energy from installed photovoltaic panels. PROMOTER clearly shows that when good practice from abroad, an innovative approach and committed local partners come together, sustainability stops being an empty word and becomes an everyday reality for citizens.