Overview

The EU has set itself ambitious climate goals by driving the transition to a greener, smarter future. In the current project we support these goals aims through data-driven solutions that help cities reduce energy use and manage resources more efficiently. The project also aligns with Digital Europe Programme objectives by promoting the adoption of digital technologies across sectors and supporting the twin transition (green and digital). It encourages municipalities to implement digital public services, such as e-governance and smart city solutions, and contributes to the Interoperable Europe Act by advancing cross-border interoperability.

Project Content

The Data Space 4 Smart Local Resources Management project aims to develop new data services that enable data sharing across local energy management and climate-related domains. It builds on existing solutions in the three cities of Tulln and Wiener Neustadt (Austria) and Ingolstadt (Germany), and is closely aligned with the objectives of the European Dataspace for smart communities preparatory action.

Aims

The project addresses several key challenges.

• It improves data management and digitalisation by breaking down data silos (i.e., isolated data repositories that prevent data exchange) while meeting legal information requirements and ensuring high standards of data protection.
• It increases efficiency by reducing staff effort, streamlining compliance with information obligations, and implementing tools for proactive, data-driven monitoring and control.
• It optimises resource management through improved data availability and continuous monitoring of energy and water consumption, taking weather and climate data into account.
• It enhances energy efficiency by stabilising local energy supply systems through intelligent load management and making green electricity more cost-efficient.
• It supports climate adaptation with data-driven simulations of heat islands and extreme weather events, providing a basis for strategic climate-resilience measures in industrial areas.

Method

The project pursues a multi-layered approach:

• Technical Implementation: Deploys an urban data space architecture, integrating IoT platforms, digital twins, and open data standards (MIMs).
• Use Case Development: Implements energy and climate data-driven applications, including smart irrigation, heat stress mapping, and predictive energy management.
• Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing: Engages municipalities, technology providers, research institutions, and policymakers to co-develop solutions and ensure scalability.
• Governance & Compliance: Establishes a structured data-sharing framework aligned with EU digital policies and data protection standards.

Impact

A strong consortium of local administrations, research institutions, SMEs, and intermediaries ensures the sustainability and transferability of the project results. The software will remain available for long-term use and will be continuously updated to meet legal requirements.

The involvement of the Austrian Association of Municipalities, with its extensive network, not only ensures broad impact but also enjoys strong backing from politics and public administration. In addition, the association can offer training, best practices, support, and consulting.