28DIGITAL and CEMR join forces to accelerate AI adoption across Europe’s regions and cities

On 16 April 2026, in the historic Palazzo Regio in Cagliari, the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) and 28DIGITAL formalised a new strategic partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The agreement marks an important step in supporting Europe’s local and regional governments in navigating the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence and digital transformation.

The signing took place during a high-level event dedicated to AI and digitalisation, convening policymakers, regional leaders, academia and innovation actors. The moment was not just symbolic, but grounded in a shared understanding: Europe’s digital ambitions will ultimately be realised or fall short at the level of cities and regions, where public services meet citizens.

At the heart of the partnership is a clear and practical objective: to equip local and regional administrations with the skills, tools and frameworks needed to adopt and deploy AI responsibly and effectively. Through this collaboration, CEMR and 28DIGITAL will co-design and pilot a dedicated training programme tailored to public sector realities, while also enabling broader cooperation on innovation use cases, ecosystem engagement and policy dialogue.

The initiative “Empowering Local Leaders through AI” presented during a webinar reflects this ambition. Rather than approaching digital transformation as a top-down policy exercise, the programme is designed to start from real needs on the ground—assessing skills gaps, testing solutions in municipalities, and refining approaches before scaling across Europe. It combines CEMR’s unparalleled reach across more than 40 countries with 28DIGITAL’s expertise in education, innovation and ecosystem building, creating a bridge between European strategy and local implementation.

The agreement also sets the basis for a broader collaboration model. Beyond training, the two organisations aim to facilitate connections between municipalities, startups, corporates, research institutions and investors, enabling co-creation of solutions and the deployment of innovation pilots. At the same time, insights generated through these activities will feed into European-level discussions, ensuring that policy development remains closely aligned with local realities.

The MoU was signed by Fabrizio Rossi and Federico Menna, in the presence of high-level representatives from regional government, academia and the broader innovation ecosystem. The event also featured a roundtable on the opportunities and challenges of AI for local and regional governments, reinforcing the urgency of coordinated action across all levels of governance.

As Europe advances its digital agenda, this partnership sends a strong signal: transformation must be inclusive, practical and anchored in real-world implementation. By working directly with cities and regions, CEMR and 28DIGITAL are contributing to a model of innovation that is not only technologically advanced, but also human-centric and territorially balanced.

The collaboration will initially focus on co-design and pilot activities, with the ambition to scale across the CEMR network in the coming years. In doing so, it lays the foundation for a more resilient and digitally capable public sector—one that is equipped to harness AI in service of citizens, communities and Europe’s long-term competitiveness.