ZENTRUM FUR ENERGIEWIRTSCHAFT UND UMWELT (E-THINK)

Their core work

e-think is a Vienna-based energy research SME specializing in energy systems modelling, heating and cooling planning, and building energy performance analysis. They develop open-source tools and decision-support platforms that help public authorities and industries plan their transition to low-carbon energy systems. Their work bridges technical energy modelling with practical policy support — translating complex energy data into actionable strategies for municipalities, district heating networks, and industrial waste heat recovery.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their earlier H2020 work (2016–2019), e-think focused on technical tool development — open-source heating/cooling mapping (HotMaps), building energy certification (X-tendo), and industrial excess heat modelling (EMB3Rs). From 2020 onward, their focus shifted toward policy support for public authorities and macro-level energy demand modelling, with projects like PATH2LC, ActIonHeat, and NEWTRENDS incorporating societal trends such as digitalisation, prosuming, and circular economy into energy planning. This evolution shows a clear move from building technical modelling tools to applying those tools in real-world municipal and policy decision-making contexts.

e-think is increasingly positioning itself as the analytical backbone for municipal and regional decarbonisation planning, combining energy modelling expertise with policy-relevant scenario analysis.

How they like to work

e-think operates exclusively as a project participant — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, which is typical for a small research SME that contributes specialist modelling capabilities rather than managing large consortia. With 71 unique partners across 18 countries in just 8 projects, they consistently work in large, diverse consortia. This broad network suggests they are a sought-after technical partner valued for their specific modelling competence rather than their project management capacity.

Despite being a small SME, e-think has built a remarkably wide network of 71 partners across 18 countries through 8 projects — averaging nearly 9 unique partners per project. Their reach spans broadly across the EU, reflecting their participation in large pan-European energy research and policy consortia.

What sets them apart

e-think occupies a distinctive niche as a small, agile research SME that builds open-source energy planning tools — a space typically dominated by large universities and research institutes. Their combination of deep technical modelling skills with practical applicability for municipalities and public authorities makes them an unusually effective bridge between academic energy research and real-world policy implementation. For consortium builders, they offer specialist energy modelling capacity without the overhead of a large institution.

Highlights from their portfolio

• HotMaps
  Their largest project by funding (EUR 414,864), producing an open-source heating and cooling mapping tool that became a reference platform for municipal energy planning across Europe.
• EMB3Rs
  Addresses the cross-sector challenge of industrial waste heat recovery with a user-driven matching tool connecting industry, district heating, and renewable energy — combining energy modelling with business case analysis.
• NEWTRENDS
  Signals e-think's evolution toward modelling emerging societal shifts (digitalisation, prosuming, circular economy) and their impact on future energy demand — a forward-looking research direction.