Partners

As ‘The Research University in the Helmholtz Association’, the KIT creates and imparts knowledge for society and the environment. Its aim is to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility and information. To this end, around 10,000 employees work together on a broad disciplinary basis in the natural sciences, engineering, economics, the humanities and social sciences. The KIT prepares its 22,800 students for responsible tasks in society, business and science through research-oriented university studies. The innovation activities at the KIT bridge the gap between knowledge and application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity and the preservation of our natural resources. The KIT is one of Germany’s universities of excellence.

The KIT acts as the scientific coordinator of the PREFIGURE project. Day-to-day implementation is shared between the Institute of Regional Science (IFR) and the Institute for Technology Assessment and System Analysis (ITAS). The scientific team is responsible for carrying out cases studies in Karlsruhe/Germany and Thessaloniki/Greece.

The Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) is an independent European public policy institute with cross- cutting expertise in energy governance, energy security, energy transition, economic development, and innovation studies. CSD combines research excellence and policy advocacy in delivering multifaceted projects fostering social innovation and institutional reforms in Europe. CSD has participated as key partner in numerous projects on governance, energy efficiency, renewable energy and low-carbon transition policy in Europe, and it has developed of in-depth assessments of energy efficiency projects for prestigious clients such as the World Bank and the European Commission.

CSD is key in PREFIGURE for translating research results into evidence-based policy recommendations, based on its outstanding methods for policy co-creation that engage policy-makers and citizens in a symbiotic relationship for delivering policy innovation.

Malmö University (MAU) is a public university located in south of Sweden. With over 24,000 students the university is one of the larger research institutes in the country. MAU was initially founded as a university college and gained full status as university as of 2018. A main research environment at MAU is urban studies: the university has a large urban studies department with graduate and postgraduate education as well as a university-wide research centre (IUR) that brings together all urban research at MAU. Among the research foci at the department and IUR are housing, urban ecology, and environmental studies.

MAU contributes to PREFIGURE with expertise and case studies from Scandinavia and specifically the Öresund region. MAU will also, together with BBSR, lead the analysis of European, national, and local dynamic of the housing and energy transition by coordinating the collection of qualitative and quantitative data across seven European countries.

IDRA Barcelona Urban Research Institute conducts research to promote social and environmental justice. The Institute understands research as a networked practice that enables a better understanding of urban reality in order to intervene and transform it. The strategic axes that guide all its activities are transformative social institutions, just ecological transition, and economic democracy.

Within PREFIGURE, IDRA is working with two prototypes: Reviu, an online portal for reviews of real homes, and Wikihousing, a self-managed and open-source social housing production method. The Institute is leading the mobilisation of knowledge exchange to facilitate future up-scaling within Prefigure and is co-leading the up-scaling of innovation into energy efficient, inclusive, and affordable housing policies.

Urban Planning research and teaching at the University of Amsterdam focuses on the relationships between the social, spatial, and environmental dimensions of urban processes, and on ways of purposefully and positively impacting on them. Our approach to research is characterized by the pursuit of an intimate link between theoretical depth and empirical grounding, with a particular emphasis on concept driven, action-orientated research and case study analysis. We aim to develop knowledge that is valuable not only to the academic community, but also has strong social impact, and helps shape urban futures.

UvA tenders’ know-how in Urban Political Ecology, Financialisation and Housing Studies with a special focus on daily experiences of vulnerable social groups, housing of refugee populations, and a deep engagement with qualitative research. All partners are practicing policy co-creation, UvA is intensively collaborating with the municipality of Amsterdam on housing renovation projects.

ICONS is a leading organisation in science communication, social and business innovation. It designs strategies to create and measure impacts of scientific research on society, bringing European citizens closer to research results and innovation. Building on more than 20 years of experience in developing large-scale international projects, ICONS holds a portfolio of several dozen EU-funded projects and strategic consulting services with EU agencies and other institutions.

Within PREFIGURE, ICONS designs, organises, and implements the strategy for dissemination, exploitation, and communication.

The Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR), with its almost 400 employees in Bonn, Berlin and Cottbus, is part of the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR). The BBSR is the departmental research facility of the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB). It supports the BMWSB with scientific policy advice in all questions related to housing, property, and construction as well as urban and spatial development. Since 2009, its tasks also include the implementation of funding and investment programmes. The programmes are directed towards cities and municipalities

The BBSR brings PREFIGURE the adequate expertise to evaluate outcomes on housing policy and real-estate markets, design, employ and analyse survey outputs and directly tender findings and measures to policy makers at the Federal level that can be directly implemented in practice.

The Centre for Environmental Policy (CEP) at Imperial College (IC) is a unique interdisciplinary department dedicated to impactful and policy-focused research. Its work bridges fundamental and applied research to address today’s pressing environmental problems and sustainability challenges.

In PREFIGURE, IC contributes with their specialised expertise in political ecology and human geography, presenting in-depth case studies from Greece and the UK. The team brings a rigorous, community-centered approach, employing qualitative research methods such as participatory research, community mapping, and art-based approaches to reveal the underlying social and power dynamics at the housing-energy nexus. They are committed to collaborative and inclusive research that not only empowers communities, but also challenges existing frameworks, broadening the understanding of entrenched inequalities and exploring transformative pathways toward social-environmental sustainability and justice.

Founded in 1632, the University of Tartu (UTartu) is Estonia’s leading research institution. Recognised among the top 1% of the world’s best universities, UTartu has a strong impact on Estonia’s academic, educational and political landscape. It actively participates in European research networks and collaborates in major EU-funded projects. UTartu conducts cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research in several fields, including housing studies, urban planning and socio-economic inequality. The university is also a core partner in the Estonian Centre of Excellence in Energy Efficiency, where it focuses on housing retrofitting and sustainable urban development.

UTartu is represented in PREFIGURE through its Housing Research Group, which specialises in housing affordability, inequality and governance in highly marketised housing systems. Working closely with national and urban policy makers and stakeholders, it brings to PREFIGURE expertise in housing research and socio-spatial inequalities, and contributes case studies from Estonia’s two largest cities, Tallinn and Tartu.