e-Academy to support Smart Cities Operations in Palestine (eSCO) project: progress report

The paper presents the mid-term progress report of a project granted by the Erasmus+ Programme, focused in particular on three fields that are considered enablers for Smart Cities (SCs): Telecommunications and Computer Networks, IT Security, and Smart Grids (SGs). Policy makers and stakeholders in Palestine (PS) have made the decision to move towards a knowledge-based economy with the aim of providing a rapid but sustainable economic growth. Moreover, the implementation of the SC concept in urban areas is recognized as the mean to promote the development of infrastructures and services, and improve the quality of life of citizens. The project main contributions are: (i) the transfer of know-how from European experts to PS; (ii) the enhancement of capacity building and skills of professors, students, and industry employees. Since Academia-Industry partnerships play a pivotal role in this process, the aim of the project is also to provoke Academia-Industry cooperation, which is not only a national priority, but is also necessary to increase the employability of new graduates.