CATALYSE

Driving local transformation toward net-zero cities by empowering Knowledge Institutions ​

CATALYSE is a Horizon Europe project funded by the European Commission that supports European cities in their endeavour to become climate-neutral. Moving beyond fragmented experimentations, the project anchors mission-oriented policies in local contexts and leverages the role of Knowledge Institutions (KIs) as hubs and trusted actors within innovation ecosystems.​

The four pilot sites act as testing grounds to explore how different types of Knowledge Institutions—ranging from research and technology organisations in Vienna and Leipzig to universities in Manchester and Rotterdam—collaborate with local actors to advance climate action and social innovation:​

• Leipzig – adapting the Climate City Contract at the neighbourhood level​
• Manchester – exploring KIs as catalysts for breaking cycles of fragmented experimentation​
• Rotterdam – fuelling fair heat for net-zero​
• Vienna – co-creating climate-neutral futures through the transformation of railway sites​

Duration: September 2025 – August 2028

Our role: We lead the project’s Communication, Dissemination & Exploitation Work Package.