National College of Ireland’s Cloud Competency Centre is a member of the SMARCO project consortium.  

About SMARCO 

The SMARCO project aims to address two key issues that have been identified in the digital ecosystem. The project proposal outlines these key issues, stating that there is a “lack of focus on the development of resilient solutions for smart communities by ICT professionals (such as Smart Cities Engineers)” and that, “On the other side of the scale, lack of green, digital, cybersecurity skills among public administrations’ staff (smart city planners, procurers) working on smart communities.”  

These two identified problems hinder the development of resilient smart communities, resulting in a decrease in economic competitiveness, employability, and the potential to deliver on green targets, etc. 

The SMARCO project aims to address these issues. In February of 2025, the first SMARCO meeting took place in recently had its kick-off meeting in Brussels. The event highlighted that over the next 4 years, 22 organisations will come together in an effort to address these key issues currently seen in the digital ecosystem, including the lack of focus on development of resilient solutions for smart communities by ICT professionals, and the lack of green, digital, cybersecurity skills among public administrations’ staff working on smart communities.  

Contribute to greener innovation: You are invited to take part!  

The SMARCO project is developing new short training modules to help students and professionals build the skills needed for smarter, more resilient communities across Europe. The piloting phase is starting at the end of February/beginning of March 2026, and students are encouraged to get involved.  

Why join? 

• Free participation 
• 4 hours per module 
• Fully online & self‑paced 
• Useful for studies, careers, and upskilling 
• Your feedback will help shape future European training programs 

*Please note that these SMARCO pilot short courses are not QQI-accredited and taking part does not lead to NCI degrees or academic credits, as they are delivered as part of a European-funded project. 

Whether you are still studying or already working in engineering, planning, sustainability, procurement, or public administration, this is a fantastic opportunity to strengthen your smart‑city skillset. Help us co‑create the learning pathways that will support Europe’s smart and resilient communities.

"As a member of SMARCO, at the CCC we are excited to see this next step come to life. It is fantastic that our students have the opportunity to broaden their own skillsets while at the same time, by taking part, they are contributing to an innovative project that will ultimately shape smarter, greener, more resilient communities across Europe." ~ Amanda Miranda De Andrade, Senior EU Deliverables Coordinator at NCI’s Cloud Competency Centre.  

You can continue reading here to learn more about SMARCO.  

You can register here if you are interested in taking part in the SMARCO short training modules.  

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