European City² Kick-off Meeting in Barcelona
On 15–16 January 2025, the official kick-off meeting of the European City² project took place in Barcelona. The event brought together representatives from the scientific community, city governments, universities, businesses, and civil society from across Europe, as well as officials from the European Commission.
The European City² project combines real and synthetic data, computational social science, and social choice theory to create an innovative agent-based simulation environment. At the heart of the initiative is the exploration of Quadratic Voting – a voting mechanism designed to better reflect the intensity of citizens’ preferences, improve the allocation of public goods, and foster trust and altruism in governance.
Day 1: Project framework and partner contributions
The first day began with a welcome from the host, the European Institute of Science in Management (EISM), followed by an introduction to the project’s scientific foundations. Partner presentations covered the role of quantum and hybrid computational models in decision-making, approaches for integrating real and synthetic data, the development of an agent-based simulation environment, plans for real-world pilot testing, and advances in electoral system design, including quantum voting models.
Day 2: Action plan and next steps
The second day focused on detailed plans for each work package – from innovations in electoral systems and quantum voting models to pilot design and policy recommendations. Key points included the use of Quadratic Voting as a tool to minimise the “tyranny of the majority”, the Two-State Vector Formalism (TSVF) to bridge classical and quantum worlds in decision analysis, and both quantum and classical algorithms for simulating social processes. The consortium also discussed the timeline for the next phases of research and testing.
Why this event mattered
The Barcelona kick-off not only marked the official start of the project but also helped build a shared vision where mathematics, social sciences, and advanced technology work together to strengthen democratic processes in Europe. By combining diverse approaches – from quantum game theory and agent-based simulations to on-the-ground pilot testing – European City² aims to deliver practical tools and well-founded policy recommendations that can make decision-making more effective, transparent, and inclusive.
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