The Aspern Smart City Research (ASCR) project is a pioneering urban energy research initiative located in Vienna's Seestadt Aspern, one of Europe's largest urban development areas. Established as a public-private partnership between Siemens, Wien Energie, Wiener Netze, the City of Vienna, and Wien 3420 aspern Development AG, ASCR uses the living laboratory of Seestadt to test and optimise smart energy systems in a real-world urban environment.
The research focuses on four core areas: smart buildings that actively manage their own energy consumption and generation, smart grids that balance supply and demand across the district, smart ICT infrastructure that enables data-driven energy management, and smart users who interact with energy systems through digital tools and feedback mechanisms.
ASCR researchers work with actual residents and businesses in Seestadt, collecting anonymised data on energy consumption patterns, testing demand-response programmes, and evaluating the performance of building-integrated photovoltaic systems and battery storage. The project has demonstrated that intelligent coordination between buildings, grid infrastructure, and renewable energy sources can significantly reduce peak loads and increase the share of locally produced renewable energy consumed within the district.
ASCR's findings are shared openly with urban planners, developers, and energy companies, contributing to the broader European knowledge base on how new urban districts can be designed and operated as energy-positive environments. The project represents a rare example of long-term, systematic energy research embedded within an active urban development.