We support cities to tackle urban challenges!

Through research and innovation as well as capacity building we enable urban players, such as local authorities and municipalities, service and infrastructure providers, and of course the citizens themselves to translate global strategies into local action. We develop the skills and tools to make urban change happen and boost the urgently needed urban transformations towards a sustainable future with an enhanced quality of life for citizens.

The Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) Partnership is an intergovernmental research and innovation programme addressing key challenges of urban transitions. Our ambition is to shape and facilitate an innovation eco–system so that all urban actors can engage and benefit. With currently 67 partners from 28 countries the DUT Partnership addresses the challenges which European cities face in their endeavour to become sustainable and enhance the quality of life for their citizens. The DUT Partnership also contributes substantially to the European Union Mission: Climate-neutral and Smart Cities Mission of Climate-neutral Cities, the European Green Deal, and the Urban Agenda for the EU.

The DUT partners jointly develop a European R&I strategy, implement joint calls and grants, and – with a strong participatory approach –  translate the results of the funded projects into practice. A major objective of our partnership is to engage and collaborate with the manifold urban stakeholders to share experience and expertise and co-create knowledge and good practices. In this way the DUT Partnership helps creating more inclusive, safe, resilient, climate-neutral and sustainable cities across Europe. 

DUT Partnership in a nutshell

Are you looking for a concise document that outlines the DUT Partnership in fewer than 10 pages? Take a moment to explore our recently published DUT in a Nutshell publication with new figures. This summary provides an overview of the Partnership’s vision, objectives, and Transition Pathways. Discover more about our activities and how they contribute to a transformative Research and Innovation Program.

The DUT Partnership aims to contribute significantly to the European and global mission on climate-neutral cities, the European Green Deal, and the Urban Agenda for the EU by developing and implementing a transformative research and innovation (R&I) programme. In order to enhance the impact of the R&I investments for local action, a comprehensive programme is established including capacity-building measures and creating evidence with and for cities and urban actors. The DUT Strategic Roadmap with its multi-annual call agenda provides a long-term framework for the DUT partners to align priorities and prepare actions as well as for the DUT community to identify topics of interest and plan their engagement for the years to come.

A Comprehensive Programme

The cornerstones of our R&I support programme

Increase the effectiveness of urban solutions, approaches and processes
City administrations tell us that integrated planning is crucial for sustainable urban development. This implies a need to connect different areas of knowledge and practice, and address conflicts between different strategies, policies, and interests. To achieve this, a transformative R&I program with tailored instruments to address the most stressing issues is badly needed. Therefore, DUT takes action and launches annual calls for transformative research and innovation projects to provide funding for different perspectives, approaches and processes. Projects are required to encourage collaboration across sectors and between different types of actors that are involved in urban transitions.

Shape a multi-actor innovation ecosystem on urban transitions
By creating an urban innovation ecosystem the DUT Partnership provides opportunities for science, policy, business, and society to interact, collaborate and build capacities to meet the needs of urban actors and society. DUT will support the involvement of urban actors in co-designed research projects to tackle challenges identified by urban stakeholders and problem owners. Offering urban actors a role in all phases of innovation projects, is also a way of empowering them.

Strengthen benefits for neighbourhoods and urban areas across Europe
We aim to ensure that good practices and evidence is made available and accessible for urban actors across Europe and support dissemination and mainstreaming of solutions. This contributes to a strong European Research Area and benefits city authorities and municipalities of cities of different sizes and situations. In this respect, the DUT Partnership is the European hub for international cooperation on sustainable urbanisation.