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As potential solutions to the challenges identified in chapter 4, the involved constituencies discussed a large number of actions and needs (partially captured in chapter 3 and enriched by specific actions here) that can be considered as the main outcome of the session towards Horizon 2020.

4.1  Actions to support fast development

• Measures towards a more aggressive approach to move to smart cities;
• Tools and support for experimentation at city level;
• Tools and support for fast prototyping at city level;
• Tools for retro-fitting existing cities to support smart city solutions;
• Mechanisms to support the harmonization of the market place;
• Low-entry-barrier mechanisms for SME involvement;
• Tools for fast financing;
• Measures to boost innovation on top of FIRE quicker than the existing Open Call mechanism;
• Measures to improve the Ecosystem thinking;
• Measures to facilitate the process of Inspiring people (catalyzers of innovation such as innovation hubs, creative labs, etc);
• Measures for new solutions and technologies to reach large audiences more quickly.

4.2  The City as an open laboratory for the Future internet experimentation (with extension to regions and communities)

• Assessment and experimentation actions: City as horizontal platform, technologically neutral and supporting multiple solutions;
• Measures to bring communities together: Future Internet researchers and industry, working together with the innovation and creative communities and the city (see also 4.3);
• Measures to bring innovation to everyone (industry, city and citizens) and for cities and citizens to become innovators;
•  Experimental rings[2] as a reference point in the convergence of Future Internet platforms and the city as a open laboratory.

4.3  Measures to bring together the Future Internet, City and open innovation and creative communities

• Implement catalyzers to bring stakeholders together and to drive change; these catalyzers should be interconnected (such as hubs, living labs, etc);
• Measures to increase participation of SMEs in the Smart City experimentation context;
• New generation of living labs converging with the city as an open laboratory.

4.4  Measures to support sustainability in Smart Cities

• Actions to assess value change and ownership of technologies, applications, data and processes in Smart Cities;
• Actions to identify and build profiles that drive experimentation in Smart Cities;
• Actions to make experimentation, deployment and testing affordable for SMEs and all type of innovators.

4.5  Measures to foster interoperability and scalability of solutions

• Actions to align FIRE to other Future Internet and Smart City initiatives (mentioned City Protocol and FI-PPP) pursuing interoperability;
• Connected experimental rings;
• Research actions to apply experimentation in real life large scale trials.