2.4 Knowledge and innovation management
Thematic focuses
The “Knowledge and innovation management” pillar is the red thread that runs through all programme activities of WieNeu+. It is embedded in the system outlined by the Smart Climate City Strategy of the City of as well as other framework documents of the City Administration.
One of the key tasks of WieNeu+ lies in developing and realising innovative solutions that contribute towards social and climate-just urban renewal and create added value for the people in the neighbourhood.
These innovative solutions (“urban living labs”) are implemented as real-life labs at a small-scale neighbourhood level (see text box). Pilot-type solutions that demonstrate potential for the future under urban living lab conditions are prepared for roll-out in the city or within the scope of activities of implementation partners.
Towards this goal, the “Knowledge and innovation management” pillar employs an interdisciplinary approach: long-standing experience, such as that gained during the previous project “Smarter Together”, has shown that the projects generate innovative added value as a result of co-creative collaboration between various stakeholders.
In addition to realising innovative projects, another focus of WieNeu+ is on the further development of framework conditions and processes for the roll-out of innovations.
The projects are subjected to continuous monitoring and evaluated on the basis of concrete indicators. These indicators were developed in co-operation with UIV based on those of the Smart Climate City Strategy Vienna and are measured so as to generate timely feedback regarding the effectiveness of the solutions adopted.
The “Knowledge and innovation management” pillar contributes to a common understanding of the objectives and underlying values (keyword: common vision).
What is an “urban living lab”?
“’Urban labs’ are experiencing a major boost in as a novel form of urban administrative practice and citizen participation. … ‘Living labs’ are generally described as participatory platforms for open innovation processes that involve the users of products or services in the development processes for these products or services.”
Thomas Höflehner: “Urban Labs als neue Impulsgeber einer integrativen Stadtentwicklung” (“Urban labs as new impulse generators of integrative urban development”, 7 August 2017)
Knowledge and innovation management together with UIV
The “Knowledge and innovation management” pillar is in particular supported by UIV Urban Innovation Vienna, the climate and innovation agency of the City of . UIV assists and accompanies projects above all through monitoring and evaluates the impact of WieNeu+ projects on the basis of indicators specifically geared towards the objectives of the Smart Climate City Strategy Vienna.
“We are happy to contribute, through knowledge management, towards the dissemination of the experience made with exciting WieNeu+ projects, in this way triggering further innovations.”
Waltraud Schmid, UIV
Involving programmes & partners from all over the city
WieNeu+ maintains partnerships with numerous municipal and quasi-municipal institutions as well as private players from the fields of economy and research to bring about the concrete implementation of projects.
The practical realisation of projects in the context of WieNeu+ is safeguarded by continuous exchange with both the districts and various municipal departments and divisions of the different administrative groups of the City of .
WieNeu+ co-operates and co-ordinates its activities directly with 23 municipal departments, many institutions close or related to the City Administration as well as over 30 enterprises. WieNeu+ also closely fine-tunes its activities with numerous climate-relevant municipal programmes, such as the “DoTank Circular City Wien 2020-2030” or “Phasing out Gas” programmes.
Maintaining a hands-on partnership on an equal footing with all programme partners is an essential part of the programme style of WieNeu+.
Triggering processes, setting the course for the future
It is the primary claim of WieNeu+ to generate strategic impulses for urban renewal.
In some cases, the results and innovations developed by WieNeu+ are implemented in other neighbourhoods and projects already during the run of the programme. In other cases, concrete, actually built project results can only be realised in the neighbourhood after the WieNeu+ programme period has ended. In view of the – often quite long – time horizons of large-scale urban design plans, WieNeu+ functions as an initiator that sets a key course for the future in the early phases of such projects. Knowledge and innovation management makes an important contribution towards this goal.