In the digital age and the decades of societal and environmental emergency states that we live in, science, technology, and industry have hit the innovation ceiling. New approaches, alternative perspectives, and creative solutions to inspire progress and accelerate development are needed: Artistic thinking can provide the boost we need to tackle the great challenges of our times. Science, Technology and arts (S+T+ARTS for short) limn a nexus at which insightful observers have identified extraordinarily high potential for innovation. And innovation is precisely whats called for if were to master the social, ecological and economic challenges that Europe is facing. STARTS Ec(h)o's main objective is building towards the triple transformation and developing artist-led approaches through creative experimentation and recognising the most successful ones: The S+T+ARTS Prize will highlight and promote 90 outstanding technology-driven artistic projects and the achievements of the teams behind them towards the green transition and social sustainability. Through S+T+ARTS residencies, artists will be enabled to develop 10 new pilots on human-centered and sustainable technologies in the fields of AI, high-performance computing, simulation & visualisation, digital twins, medical tech or circular economy. An annual AIxMusic program at Snar will create an international platform for pushing limits of digital technology and exploring the compatibility of digital with human values and needs through artistic thinking. Ars Electronica, Sonar, Salzburg Festival, Inova+, T6, French Tech Grand Provence, Technical University Dresden and Media Solution Center Baden Wrttemberg will stimulate arts-driven innovation that is human compatible and ecological consciousness and showcase outstanding examples from the field of S+T+ARTS in 12 events at the Ars Electronica Festival, Sonar and the Salzburg Festival and hence new pathways to European innovation.

The iSCAPE project aims to integrate and advance the control of air quality and carbon emissions in European cities in the context of climate change through the development of sustainable and passive air pollution remediation strategies, policy interventions and behavioural change initiatives. It will tackle the problem of reducing air pollution at target receptors with an innovative SME-led approach, focusing on the use of “Passive Control Systems” in urban spaces. Improvements in air quality, microclimate and behavioural aspects of urban dwellers will be achieved by applying real-world physical interventions on the urban tissue to alter ventilation rates and dispersion patterns in the selected cities assessed for future climate change scenarios and representative of different cultural&life styles in Europe. Through the approach of Living Labs the team will deploy a network of air quality and meteorological sensors (both stationary and mobile) and evaluate through analysis and a suite of up-to-date numerical modelling the benefits expected from the interventions on a neighbourhood and city-wide scale for several aspects ranging from quantification of pollutant concentration to exposure. iSCAPE encapsulates the concept of “smart cities” by promoting the use of low-cost sensors, engaging citizens in the use of alternative solution processes to environmental problems. iSCAPE will support sustainable urban development by promoting the sharing of results with policy-makers and planners using local test-cases, and providing scientific evidence ready-to-use solutions potentially leading to real-time operational interventions. This integrated approach will include the development and assessment of a framework aimed at changing the mobility behaviour of people by studying processes and dynamics that lead to more resilient, healthy, and sustainable cities, by bringing together theory from urban planning, public policy, urban and environmental sociology and urban geography.