On January 17, 2025, the final event of the “Shaping Urban Futures” initiative took place as part of the European Forum Alpbach (EFA) in Vienna. The event marked the culmination of a three-year project cycle and celebrated the successes of EFA 24, which was dedicated to promoting sustainable urban development.
FHWien der WKW’s expertise in the spotlight
Particularly pleasing for FHWien der WKW was the central role played by Anna-Vera Deinhammer, Endowed Professor for Sustainable Real Estate Development. She developed the format and the motto of the evening: “Urban Spaces as Incubators for Symbotic Disruption”. She also moderated the event. Her involvement underlines the importance of her sustainability-oriented research at FHWien der WKW.
The University of Applied Sciences also benefited from its membership in the ÖGNI, which enabled a practical validation of the theses from the perspective of the real estate industry and thus contributed to the well-founded preparation.
The event offered comprehensive insights into the successes of EFA24 and the complex challenges of modern cities. From resource scarcity and citizen participation to innovative financing models for the sustainability transformation – the topics discussed illustrated the complexity of urban development.
Top-class discussion on urban innovations
The highlight of the event was a panel discussion led by FH-Prof. Deinhammer with renowned experts Anette Scheckmann (CEO STRABAG AG Austria), Stephan Auer-Stüger (Deputy Chairman of the Climate and Environment Committee of the City of Vienna) and Thomas Osdoba (EIT Climate-KIC Senior Advisor, Program Director of NetZeroCities).
Afterwards Kirsten Dunlop (CEO, EIT Climate-KIC; EFA Climate Track Committee Chair) and the new EFA President Othmar Karas actively participated in the networking and intensively discussed the potential of cities as innovation centers.
The key questions of the debate were:
- How can urban environments become hubs for innovation?
- What role do cities play in fostering symbioses between industries, communities and ecosystems?
- How can visionary ideas be combined with practical strategies for a decarbonized and circular future?
The event was the continuation of a series of events and initiatives of the European Forum Alpbach in which Anna-Vera Deinhammer 2024 was the expert in charge of various topics.