System Innovation
The goal is to develop innovative solutions for cities and municipalities in Austria to achieve climate neutrality and adapt to climate change. The Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI) supports so-called “pioneer cities”, which serve as frontrunners and learning environments for climate-neutral projects. The main challenges include a lack of effective solutions, insufficient sustainability of existing approaches, and missing processes for learning and knowledge transfer.
Planned measures include:
- Establishing partnerships with 10 pioneer cities to implement the EU Mission “Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities.”
- Developing climate neutrality roadmaps for 37 small and medium-sized cities.
- Providing tailored consulting and support on topics such as energy, mobility, and greenhouse gas accounting.
- Promoting research, technology development, and pilot projects for climate-neutral urban districts.
- Building European and international partnerships and networks.
Implementation is carried out through funding programmes — for example, supporting urban technologies, heat transition projects, qualification initiatives, and international cooperation.
System Transformation
The aim is to accelerate the transition toward climate neutrality within the innovation system and among key stakeholders.
Knowledge transfer, scaling, and systemic learning are central in mobilizing cities and municipalities.
Pioneer cities share their experiences and inspire other cities to join the process.
Key measures include:
- Broad mobilization of research, business, politics, and civil society.
- Promoting knowledge exchange and the transferability of solutions.
- Developing exchange and learning formats for various stakeholders.
- Strengthening research-based collaboration with universities.
- Building national alliances with implementation partners such as industry, cities, and networks.
- Coordinating research and implementation instruments.
The overarching goal is to implement climate-neutral urban districts, strengthen innovation systems, and achieve the 2040 climate targets.