Research Clusters
Research and innovation for net-zero urban transitions
Empowering cities to lead global-local climate action requires a cross-cutting collaboration to identify research and innovation (R&I) priorities, opportunities, and initiatives that cross levels of government and sectors of society.
To harness established expertise and foster knowledge partnerships between cities and academia, the Urban Transitions Mission (UTM) has launched several Research Clusters, opening the invitation to academics, researchers, universities, and think tanks to engage with the UTM city cohort in the co-creation of innovative solutions using localized science, data, and other insights.
Be part of a data-driven network committed to enhance UTM cities’ transformative climate journey!
What are the UTM Research Clusters?
As collaborative hubs, the UTM Research Clusters bring together established expertise and foster knowledge partnerships between cities and academia to enhance local climate plans with evidence-based solutions aligned to the 10 Shared priorities identified by the UTM, City Research and Innovation Agenda (CRIA), and Global Research and Action Agenda (GRAA):
- Innovative governance
- Urban planning and design
- Sustainable resource management
- Sustainable infrastructure
- Health and well-being
- City-scale data
- Resilience and adaptive capacity
- Economy and financing
- Digitalization
- Systems approach
UTM Research Clusters also allows collaboration with the high-ambition research and knowledge track of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) Innovate4Cities, which offers additional opportunities for engagement with stakeholders and participation in events and platforms such as the Innovate4Cities conferences and marketplaces. The ultimate goal is to close the gap between research, development, and deployment of systemic innovation, and mobilize decision-makers to prioritize the adoption of net-zero people-centered pathways across all sectors of urban governance with potential replicability for other cities in the region or globally.