RAISE and RAISE Suite took part in Smart Cities, Smart Regions 2: Digital Governance & Efficient Administration, a high-level event held on 21 March 2026 at Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki, in the framework of the 34th Money Show. The event was co-organised in cooperation with the Region of Central Macedonia and with the support of the Vice-Region of Digital Governance and the Vice-Region of Transport and Communications, bringing together public authorities, regional actors, and digital governance stakeholders to discuss the future of smarter, more efficient, and data-driven public administration.

RAISE and RAISE Suite contributed to this discussion by presenting EOSC-aligned approaches for secure, transparent, and responsible data sharing. Their participation underlined the importance of trusted digital infrastructures for cities and regions that want to make better use of data while maintaining security, compliance, and public value.

The timing was especially relevant, as the Region of Central Macedonia has shown interest in exploring Open Science tools, such as the RAISE Platform, and in examining ways to open and reuse public-sector data in a secure and compliant manner.

RAISE in the panel discussion on data protection and availability

A central highlight of the event was the participation of Ass. Prof. Evdokimos Konstantinidis, RAISE Project Coordinator, in Session B: “Data: Protection and Availability”, alongside Ms. Giota Paparidou, President of SEPE, Mr. Kyriakos Tolias, Director of the National Documentation Centre, and Dimitris Katsianis, Vice President of the Board of GRNET. The discussion focused on how public data can become more accessible while ensuring trust, protection, and proper governance. It followed a keynote on public data in secure infrastructures, addressing cloud, interoperability, and digital administration.

Through this contribution, RAISE brought to the table its perspective on trusted data sharing and controlled data reuse, showing how public authorities can move beyond simple access models toward more secure and transparent ways of working with data.

Looking ahead

The participation of RAISE and RAISE Suite in Smart Cities, Smart Regions 2 confirmed the growing relevance of trusted data infrastructures for regional governance, public-sector innovation, and smarter policy implementation. It also highlighted the role that European research and innovation projects can play in supporting real-world digital transformation with solutions that are both technically robust and socially responsible.

As RAISE moves forward through its sustainability and uptake pathway, and as RAISE Suite builds on this foundation, such engagements remain essential for connecting innovation with institutional needs and for ensuring that the future of smart cities is built on openness, trust, and responsible use of data.