LEIBNIZ-INSTITUT FUR OKOLOGISCHE RAUMENTWICKLUNG EV

Their core work

IOER is a German research institute focused on sustainable spatial development, studying how cities and regions can transition toward more sustainable land use, urban planning, and energy systems. Their work bridges urban development policy with socio-economic research, particularly examining EU-China urbanisation comparisons and the societal effects of energy transitions on local communities. They contribute analytical frameworks and case-study-based evidence to European policy debates on cultural heritage, regional development, and clean energy shifts.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

IOER's early H2020 work (2017–2019) centred on EU-China urbanisation comparisons — sustainable city planning and social integration across two very different governance systems. From 2020 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward the societal dimensions of European challenges: cultural tourism as a regional development tool and the social consequences of coal phase-outs on communities. This arc shows a move from international benchmarking toward deeply European, place-based research on transitions and identity.

IOER is moving toward studying how European communities cope with major structural transitions — energy, economic, cultural — making them a strong fit for Just Transition and territorial resilience projects.

How they like to work

IOER has participated exclusively as a partner, never as coordinator, across all four H2020 projects. With 45 unique consortium partners across 20 countries, they operate in large, internationally diverse consortia. This profile suggests a reliable contributing partner that brings spatial analysis expertise without seeking project leadership overhead.

IOER has built a broad network of 45 partners spanning 20 countries, indicating strong pan-European and international reach. Their EU-China projects also extend this network beyond Europe into Asian research institutions.

What sets them apart

IOER occupies a distinctive niche at the intersection of spatial science and societal transitions — they don't just study urban planning or energy policy in isolation, but how these changes reshape communities and landscapes. As a Leibniz institute, they carry institutional credibility and long-term research capacity that project-funded groups often lack. Their combination of EU-China comparative expertise with deep European territorial analysis is uncommon among spatial research centres.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ENTRANCES
  Directly addresses the political priority of coal region transitions, studying how communities cope with energy phase-outs from psychological, economic, and social perspectives.
• TRANS-URBAN-EU-CHINA
  Largest IOER project by funding (EUR 245,656), tackling the ambitious comparison of social integration in cities across two fundamentally different governance systems.
• SPOT
  Positions cultural tourism as an innovation tool for European identity and rural development — an unusual and timely combination of heritage and economic policy.