Aspern Smart City Research

RESEARCH IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Cities need energy! However, in light of climate change and resource scarcity on the one hand and urban growth on the other, policymakers, administrators and businesses are faced with considerable challenges in ensuring sufficient energy provision. Furthermore, while a high degree of technological progress has already been achieved in this field, the results have not yet been fully tested for suitability for everyday use. These are the factors shaping the field in which the research company Aspern Smart City Research GmbH & Co KG (ASCR) currently operates.

ASCR was launched in 2013 by Siemens Austria (44.1%), Wien Energie (29.95%), Wiener Netze (20%) and the City of Vienna (Vienna Business Agency 4.66%; Wien 3420 1.29%). Its fundamental aim is to develop solutions for the energy future of our cities and to make our energy system more efficient and climate-friendly.

USING REAL DATA TO ACHIEVE REAL SOLUTIONS

This specific applied research project is based on real data and is designed to benefit the City of Vienna and its residents. It is the first cooperation model to ever be undertaken on this scale. Over 100 researchers from various disciplines are directly involved in the project.

ASCR has so far responded to more than 60 research questions, developed 15 prototype solutions for intelligent buildings and grid infrastructure, and filed 11 patents. Since 2016, ASCR also holds various top awards: at the international World Smart City Award competition, our research project was selected as “Best Smart Project 2016” from 250 participants representing 49 countries.
Cities around the world are facing immense challenges. It is definitely not enough to rely solely on theoretical concepts to address them! This is why ASCR conducts its research using real data. This is the only way we can optimise urban energy systems so as to ensure that cities and their residents actually benefit.

Up until now, small-scale research into individual solutions has been the predominant approach in energy research. ASCR takes a holistic approach and treats the system as a whole as its research topic: buildings, grids, ICT and users – each domain is only one part of the whole and must be addressed within an interdisciplinary framework.