STADT DORTMUND

Their core work

Stadt Dortmund is a German municipal authority that brings urban governance and city-level implementation capacity to EU research projects. Their primary contribution is as a real-world testing ground for urban regeneration, green infrastructure deployment, and emergency response training in a post-industrial city context. Dortmund's experience managing the transition from heavy industry to a knowledge-based economy makes them a valuable partner for projects addressing urban transformation, nature-based solutions, and civil security preparedness.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Stadt Dortmund's early H2020 involvement (2015-2017) centered on civil security — disaster robotics via SmokeBot and CBRN training networks via eNOTICE, reflecting the fire department's operational focus. From 2018 onward, the city pivoted strongly toward urban greening and societal transformation, with proGIreg and T-Factor addressing green infrastructure, soil regeneration, urban commons, and culture-led urban renewal. This shift mirrors Dortmund's broader municipal strategy of reinventing itself as a green, post-industrial city.

Dortmund is moving decisively toward nature-based urban solutions and community-driven regeneration, making them a strong candidate for future Green Deal and urban resilience consortia.

How they like to work

Stadt Dortmund always participates as a partner, never as coordinator — typical for a municipal authority that provides implementation sites and governance context rather than scientific leadership. With 83 unique partners across 20 countries, they operate in large, diverse consortia. This broad network and consistent partner role make them easy to integrate into new projects where a real-world urban testbed is needed.

Dortmund has collaborated with 83 distinct partners across 20 countries, indicating a wide European network built through large Innovation Action and Research consortia. Their connections span both security-focused and environment-focused communities.

What sets them apart

Dortmund offers something rare: a major German post-industrial city willing to serve as a living laboratory for urban experiments. Their fire department website hints at the civil protection entry point, but the city's real value lies in providing municipal-scale testing grounds for green infrastructure, urban agriculture, and community regeneration. Few public bodies combine both CBRN preparedness and nature-based urban transformation experience.

Highlights from their portfolio

• proGIreg
  Largest project by far (EUR 1.15M to Dortmund alone), addressing productive green infrastructure across multiple post-industrial European cities with concrete urban agriculture and soil regeneration pilots.
• eNOTICE
  Built a pan-European CBRN training network, connecting Dortmund's fire service expertise to a continent-wide civil security preparedness infrastructure.
• SmokeBot
  Unusual combination of robotics and disaster response — mobile robots with environmental sensors designed for real fire and disaster scenarios.