About us

The Fraunhofer “Morgenstadt Initiative” is a network of Fraunhofer Institutes, municipalities and companies. It was founded in 2012 by the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering (IAO) to think ahead, develop and test innovations for the city of tomorrow (more about the history of Morgenstadt can be found here. Within the framework of research projects, partners of the Morgenstadt Initiative develop solutions and new perspectives for the city of the future, the Morgenstadt, in changing constellations. This includes research and advancement of development potentials and solution strategies in urban systems , but also the identification and analysis of impending disruptive developments for the city of tomorrow  and the design of new management approaches, systems or suitable business models.

The combination of different perspectives and expertise from applied research (Fraunhofer Institutes), municipal practice (specialist offices, local politicians, citizens) and solution-oriented business (companies) is one of the strengths and unique selling points of the Morgenstadt Initiative. It allows the network to react flexibly and agilely to public funding programs, for example from the European Commission, and to use the funds acquired to initiate innovative research or innovation projects , or to form demand-oriented innovation partnerships independent of funding programs and with an individual topic. Through its partner institutes and companies, the Morgenstadt Initiative bundles expertise in a total of 11 innovation fields, which uniquely cover the entire spectrum of complex urban systems.

Cities are the future of humankind. More than half of the world's population already lives in cities; in Germany, the figure is as high as 70 percent. They are all looking for security and prosperity, education and networking as well as the urban lifestyle, in short: quality of life. 

In a confined space, more and more people seek to take advantage of the opportunities for a good life. At the same time, urban systems are becoming increasingly complex due to mega-trends such as climate change, increasingly diverse (urban) societies and the major digital transformation. Against this background, social divides must be avoided, and a sustainable use of natural resources must be achieved. In the process of sustainable urban development towards a smart city of the future, all areas from waste to energy, over governance, mobility and water supply are relevant.  

Networked technologies, new business models, flexible processes and socio-ecological integration are the pillars for sustainable, intelligent and livable cities. The Morgenstadt Initiative aims to contribute to their development with its research and innovation projects.