Background information on the foundation of the technology platform

The Smart Cities and Communities Initiative, which is part of the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan), forms the backdrop to the activities of the Platform.

The SET-Plan is an important pillar of European technology policy. It aims at stimulating the market uptake of innovative energy technologies by implementing large demonstration and pilot projects in the framework of European Industrial Initiatives (EII).

Necessary investments of 70 billion Euro distributed over the coming 10 years have been estimated for the EII, of which 11 billion for the Smart Cities and Communities Initiative.

This initiative shall stimulate projects in European cities which want to take a leading role and reduce their CO2-emissions through a combination of more efficient buildings, intelligent energy grids, integration of renewable energies and improved transport systems. These investments shall be financed in a joint effort of industry and the public sector, in the form of public-public-private partnerships.

One of the aims of the Technology Platform Smart Cities Austria is to enable the Austrian players active in the field of smart cities to join forces, become involved in the Europan Smart Cities Stakeholder Platform and contribute to the further development of the Smart Cities and Communities Initiative.

As a first step, in May 2011, the TPSCA submitted a contribution to the public consultation of the European Commission held in preparation of the launch of the Smart Cities and Communities Initaitive.

The foundation of the platform has been supported by the Austrian Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology.