LANDESHAUPTSTADT MUNCHEN

Their core work

The City of Munich is a major German municipal authority that uses EU-funded projects to redesign urban mobility, decarbonize district heating systems, and implement nature-based solutions across its neighborhoods. Their H2020 participation focuses on testing and scaling real-world urban interventions — from child-friendly street redesigns to zero-carbon heating roadmaps — using Munich as a living laboratory. They bring regulatory authority, urban planning expertise, and access to a large metropolitan population (1.5M+) as a deployment environment for sustainable city solutions.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Munich's early H2020 work (2015-2018) centered on large-scale smart city integration — data platforms, e-mobility, low-energy districts, and co-creation with citizens through flagship projects like SMARTER TOGETHER. From 2019 onward, the focus shifted toward more specific and people-centered interventions: cycling infrastructure transfer (Handshake), heating decarbonization roadmaps (DecarbCityPipes), and environmental justice through nature-based solutions (JUSTNature). The trajectory shows a move from broad smart city ambition toward targeted, sector-specific climate action with stronger social equity dimensions.

Munich is moving from technology-driven smart city pilots toward socially inclusive decarbonization, making them a strong partner for projects combining climate action with equity and citizen participation.

How they like to work

Munich participates exclusively as a partner, never as coordinator — consistent with its role as a city authority providing a real-world deployment site rather than leading research. With 177 unique partners across 23 countries, they operate in large consortia (typical for Innovation Actions) and connect with a wide variety of organizations. This makes them a well-networked urban testbed partner who brings implementation capacity and political mandate rather than academic leadership.

Munich has collaborated with 177 unique partners across 23 countries, reflecting broad European reach through large Innovation Action consortia. Their network spans city governments, transport authorities, energy utilities, and research institutions across Western and Central Europe.

What sets them apart

Munich is one of Europe's largest and wealthiest cities, giving it unmatched scale as a living lab for urban innovation — solutions tested here carry credibility for deployment elsewhere. Unlike university partners, Munich brings regulatory power, public infrastructure access, and the ability to actually implement changes in streets, buildings, and energy networks. Their consistent participation across mobility, energy, and climate projects makes them a rare municipal partner that can integrate solutions across sectors at city scale.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SMARTER TOGETHER
  Largest project by funding (EUR 2.9M) — a flagship smart city lighthouse project integrating energy, mobility, and digital solutions across Munich districts.
• CIVITAS ECCENTRIC
  Second-largest funding (EUR 2.5M) and notable for addressing mobility equity — sustainable transport specifically for suburban districts, vulnerable groups, and gender-sensitive planning.
• JUSTNature
  Most recent and longest-running project (2021-2026), signaling Munich's strategic shift toward nature-based solutions and environmental justice.