Call for Projects & Solutions
Heat transition 2.0: Decarbonizing Heat & Cooling at Scale
The next incubator is the Open Innovation Lab of Energie Steiermark, one of Austria's largest energy service providers. 1.800 employees dedicate their experience and expertise to a fair partnership with approximately 600.000 customers in Austria and abroad. We are looking for companies, start-ups, and innovators to jointly develop products and services for sustainable solutions and business models.
Heating and cooling are among the most important levers for the energy transition. At the same time, they are still heavily dependent on fossil fuels – especially in the building sector, in cities and in industry.
We are looking for scalable, systemic and integrated solutions, which combine decarbonization, digitalization and economic efficiency.
We are looking for
We are looking for Projects, technologies and business models, which make a significant contribution to Decarbonization of heating and cooling supply Afford.
Solutions can be used for both Private Customers / Residential as well as for Commerce & real estate, housing developers & neighborhood developers, cities and municipalities as well as those Industry be suitable.
The submission should be in at least one of the following 4 priorities correspond:
Integrated Energy Systems & Sector Coupling
- Coupling of electricity, heat and energy storage
- Integration of renewable energies into thermal systems
- Hybrid solutions at neighborhood or industrial level
- Waste heat recovery (industry, data centers, infrastructure)
- Geothermal energy
- Solar thermal energy & new heat generation concepts
Decarbonization of existing infrastructures including thermal storage solutions
- Transformation of district heating and gas networks
- Low-temperature networks & 5th generation district heating
- Retrofit solutions for buildings
- Short- and long-term heat storage, innovative storage materials and systems
- Integration into networks and buildings
Digital Solutions & AI
- Optimization of heat flows (e.g., forecasting, dispatch)
- Platform solutions for energy management and ESG reporting
- Digital twins, simulation, planning tools
Cooling & Climate Adaptation
- Sustainable cooling concepts (district cooling, passive cooling)
- System solutions for urban heat reduction
Two Tracks – One Goal
Innovative solutions and projects can be submitted in two tracks. Depending on the idea and deadline, please select the appropriate track in your application.
Track 1: R&D – Cooperations
For ambitious projects with an innovative character:
• Consortium projects (e.g. with research institutions)
• Preparation of submissions (e.g. national & EU programs)
• Focus: Scalable solutions with long-term impact
Objective: Development of flagship projects for the energy transition
Track 2: Piloting & Startup – Cooperations (TRL >7)
For more market-oriented solutions:
- Pilot projects in real-world environments
- Access to infrastructure & customer segments
- Venture Clienting / Direct Implementation
Objective: Fast validation
Requirements
We offer
Access to real-world application areas (networks, buildings, customers)
Cooperation with Energie Steiermark and partners
Support for piloting and scaling
Sparring & Co-creation with Experts
Access to project consortia (funding applications)
Visibility in the innovation ecosystem
submission process
How can you apply for this call?
Very easily: Reach up to July 31, 2026 Submit your solution via our online application form. Submissions will undergo a systematic selection process. We will evaluate the concepts and all finalists will receive qualitative feedback.
We are particularly looking for Startups (Scale-up ready, TRL>7 for Track 2), Technology Providers, industrial company, Research institutions and Consortia & Project Initiatives.
