Latest press releases Energy

©

The 15th IEA Heat Pump Conference 2026 is setting new standards: with a total of 380 submissions from around the world, the scientific program impressively highlights the dynamic innovation in the field of heat pump technologies.

3188 Characters
Award Ceremony Net-Zero Industry Mission Award
© Climate Fund / NIM
NEFI GreenBricks project honoured as an “Outstanding Project”

The joint GreenBricks research project by the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology and Wienerberger has been honoured with the Mission Innovation Net-Zero Industries Award in the “Outstanding Project” category. The award ceremony took place on 10 April 2026 as part of the International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum (IVECF) at the Hofburg in Vienna.

4414 Characters 2 Images
15th IEA Heat Pump Conference 2026
© AIT
The AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, together with international partners, is bringing the world's leading heat pump conference to Vienna.

With over 380 submissions from research and industry, high-ranking international speakers, workshops and technical excursions, Vienna will become the international center for heat pump innovations from 26 May to 29 May 2026.
Ticket sales are underway, and the early bird deadline has been extended to 16 March 2026.

4879 Characters 3 Images
CirCon
© AIT/Jaqueline Eder
AIT conference brings together politics, business and research at the Vienna Museum

With CirCon 2026 – Circular Construction, the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology has established a central platform for exchange on the circular construction industry. Around 120 representatives from politics, business, research, and civil society gathered today at the Vienna Museum to discuss concrete ways out of the linear construction industry and to highlight practical solutions for a resource-efficient transformation of the sector under the motto "Circular Construction – Opportunities. Innovation. Practice." to discuss concrete ways out of the linear construction industry and to identify practical solutions for a resource-efficient transformation of the sector.

2307 Characters 1 Image
CEScaleUP research project
© TU Wien
Research project paves the way for resource-efficient construction

In the CEScaleUP research project, the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, together with the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), the Research Association of the Austrian Building Materials Industry (FBI) and Meixner ZT, is developing a digital ecosystem that promotes the sustainable use of building materials and facilitates the recycling of components. Given the goal of renovating around half of Austria's building stock by 2030, innovative concepts such as urban mining and the digital circular economy are indispensable. This is exactly where CEScaleUP comes in, providing key solutions for the transformation of the construction industry.

3126 Characters 1 Image
AIT and Takeda win the DECA Award 2025 Industry
© DECA_Peter Griesser

The AIT Austrian Institute of Technology and Takeda were presented with the DECA Award Industry 2025 at the Energy Efficiency Congress for the pioneering NEFI project AHEAD (Advanced Heat Pump Demonstrator). The award recognised in particular the technological innovation of the industrial high-temperature heat pump demonstrator, which enables CO₂-free steam generation in pharmaceutical production and thus sets new standards for sustainable industrial processes.

3686 Characters 2 Images
City of Lienz
© Stadt Lienz/Brunner Images

The city of Lienz and the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology have been awarded the prestigious ÖGUT Environmental Prize in the category "Sustainable Municipality". The award recognises their joint commitment to holistic, scientifically sound and future-oriented urban development, which is consistently geared towards making Lienz climate-neutral by 2040.

4938 Characters 1 Image
City Intelligence Lab at Smart City Expo Barcelona
© AIT

From 4 to 6 November 2025, AIT will present its latest tools for quantifiable sustainability assessments and variant comparisons, as well as innovative digital tools from the City Intelligence Lab at Smart City Expo Barcelona. In urban and neighbourhood development, these digital tools make complex planning and urban development measurable, comparable and understandable. With clear assessments and interactive dashboards, decisions can be made based on facts for greater sustainability, energy efficiency, resource conservation and climate resilience.

3236 Characters 1 Image
©
New test benches enable realistic tests up to 100 kW heating capacity and strengthen Austria's role as a location for innovation in climate-neutral heating technologies.

On 13 October 2025, the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology officially opened Austria's most advanced heat pump laboratory, providing important impetus for the decarbonisation of the heating sector. High-tech test benches allow heat pump systems with a heating capacity of up to 100 kW to be tested under realistic conditions. The new laboratory offers customers from industry and partners from research ideal conditions for the development and optimisation of efficient systems. The AIT thus underlines its central role in the development of new technologies and strengthens the innovation ecosystem of research and industry in Austria.

5447 Characters
Load more