The term “smart” has become a trendy buzzword. We suppose that merely sticking it to something is enough to make that thing smart – József Pálinkás argued. He thinks "we need sustainable and responsible programmes to create really smart cities as a result of integrated and coherent development based on clear long-term targets and established with economic, environmental and social approach. We also need a change in attitude, as smart cities only work with smart citizens: even the best system is bound to fail without the contribution of cooperative and responsible citizens.

As the coordinator and partly the funding agency of programmes promoting innovation, the NRDI Office is responsible for ensuring a complex portfolio of competitive calls where all potential applicants can find appropriate and predictable funding for their research and development projects. These funding opportunities can also give an increased momentum to innovation aimed at creating more liveable cities. It is, however, a common responsibility for all stakeholders of the R&D community to utilise these programmes and the corresponding funds as efficiently as possible – József Pálinkás stressed.

The President of the NRDI Office also pointed out that certain funding schemes promote the establishment of new institutions or the intensive development of existing research centres. This may invigorate the cities where they operate since the presence of RDI communities can contribute to the competitiveness of the city as a whole. In this context József Pálinkás highlighted the Innovation Ecosystem call, the Higher Education and Industry Cooperation Centres (FIEK) and the Strategic Excellence Workshops call. As from the end of 2016, refundable financing, such as financial instruments, credit facilities and a newly established venture capital fund will have an increased role in supporting the RDI projects of innovative businesses.

The head of the NRDI Office once again drew attention to the fact that the Office strives to filter out immature and unreasonably overpriced project proposals, as it is crucial to stop the funding of unrelated, inappropriate and unsustainable projects lacking a uniform approach under the headword “smart city”.