Introduction

The greatest challenges concerning the reorganization of our infrastructure systems will be dealt with by cities. More than 70% of the overall population in Europe lives in cities and this number continues to grow. People living in these urban areas are in the need of a safe, affordable and environmentally-friendly energy infrastructure. We will only be able to achieve our ambitious goals concerning energy and climate when we succeed in convincing people living in cities to strike new paths in infrastructure planning and infrastructure utilization.

Well-functioning and reliable infrastructures typify our modern industrial society. They are the reflective of our wealth, our technical acquisitions as well as our present way of life. The setup and construction, reconstruction and maintenance of urban infrastructures are capital intensive and complex. When infrastructures should be changed on a grand scale, all options have unbiasedly to be taken into consideration and each of them has to deliberated well. The key to reorganization, however, is financial feasibility.

Last year's first viennergy conference has already had "Municipal Energy Links" as its motto and sparked incentives, established networks and left marks. We are already looking forward to go on working on this very essential and critical issue and to the exchange of experiences and ideas with our international neighbours.

Favourable political and legislative general frameworks, realistic goals, active networks, and efficient transformation processes as well as the determined organizational and creative will of energy cities is needed and even indispensable for new infrastructures. Just as well are intelligent energy and infrastructures and innovative technologies needed, both on the energy production and consumption side. We are confronted with a decisive setting of the points in decision-making in order to be able to put this ecologically and economically sustainable policy into action.

Preface

As a pioneer in renewable energies and innovative energy planning Vienna is predestinated to host the "viennergy 2009" conference and thus to continue the series that has been initiated very successfully last year. In this year's conference the Financing of municipal infrastructures is centered - a burning issue in times of the subprime and banking crisis.

Viennergy provides a forum for introducing the Austrian and especially Viennese know-how in the field of sustainable urban energy and environmental planning as well as for presenting recent Austrian research results.

Cities such as Vienna and its partner cities play the key role in coping with global warming effects and securing energy supplies. Urban energy supply, public lighting, and infrastructure management of public buildings have - besides the optimization of the private sector and industrial plants - become major concerns of cities and urban agglomerations. The methodical approach of some model cities in Austria such as Vienna and Salzburg, but also Güssing, Kötschach-Mauthen and others are not only innovative but partly even breakthroughs and they exemplarily point out, how highly linked energy systems and complex system interrelations can be analyzed by means of a participative method, and how they can lead to solutions that are realizable and on which consensus might be obtained.

The political attention and professional interest has never been greater before in these issues than it is today. Someone wanting to position himself in this sector has to do it today, and at best immediately. Vienna complies with all those requirements. The viennergy series is an important instrument in this context. The Messe Wien is the right location to discuss infrastructural issues and responsibilities on a grand scale. On one hand through the architectural attractive infrastructure, which is at the same time functional and according to the latest energy efficiency expertises. On the other hand through the parallelism with the public trade fair "Bauen & Energie". This fair has a special focus on environment and climate protection in the fields of building activity, renovation and energy saving. We would be pleased to welcome you also at the "Bauen & Energie" fair.
Welcome - we are looking forward to your attendance!