Dr. Michael Leitner-Hickisch of Urban Innovation Vienna is helping shape Vienna’s digital future as one of Europe’s most innovative cities. In recent years, he has been instrumental in establishing the Vienna Geospace Hub—a unique urban laboratory connecting AI, satellite data, and climate-neutral urban planning - as well as in building the AI Expert Pool for the City of Vienna, which supports the ethical and practical integration of artificial intelligence into local government operations. He also leads KICK Lab, where new AI solutions are tested directly in real-world urban environments before being scaled up for broader implementation.