City of Tomorrow
Building on the results of "Building of Tomorrow" and "Energy Systems of Tomorrow", the Austrian Research and Technology (RTD) program "City of Tomorrow" is focused on the research and development of new technologies, technological systems as well as urban services for future cities.
In particular City of Tomorrow puts emphasis on the built infrastructure in connection with urban energy systems, both on a district-level and within the wider agglomeration (suburban areas). New technologies and innovations should pave the way for an altered understanding of future employment and living in combination with mobility and production within cities, making them an attractive place to live and energy efficient at the same time.
It will also be necessary to ensure that technological solutions are affordable and make daily life for residents easier.
Vision und Targets
A central pillar of the Austrian RTD policy is to make a substantial contribution to an ongoing transformation towards a sustainable and future-oriented city. Therefore the decisive factors are whether we succeed in developing new energy services improve energy efficiency and increase the share of renewables in urban areas.
With its objective to create and empower intelligent energy solutions on a building- as well as a district-level, the RTD program City of Tomorrow aims to:
- Support resilient cities and districts with high resource and energy efficiency, an increased use of renewable energy production and a high quality of life
- Optimise and adapt urban infrastructures in light of ongoing urbanisation and the associated increase in resources and energy
- Develop and secure both the technological leadership and the international competitiveness of Austrian companies and research institutions
However besides the focus on technological solutions, a development process should be systematically launched leading to visionary projects and case-studies which can be transferred to other cities and urban areas.
Previous calls for tenders "City of Tomorrow"
The first tender for the perennial RTD program was launched in autumn 2013, well prepared by a broad public consultation process in the summer.
The following thematic research and development topics were addressed:
- System design and urban services
- Solutions for the built infrastructure
- Technologies for urban energy systems
The second call for projects took place over the period September 2014 to January 2015, including the following topics:
- Energy spatial planning and design
- Innovative business models/Smart services
- Technology development for building optimisation and modernisation
- Demonstration projects
- Technologies for urban energy systems
Based on the results of an open public consultation process in summer 2015, the third call for projects addressed the following topics:
- Energy spatial planning and design
- echnology development for building optimisation and modernization
- Demonstration projects at district level
- Technologies and services for urban energy systems
- Strategic questions and crazy ideas
The tenders are directly addressed to all actors within the "Smart City"-RTD community.