Central European regions are already witnessing the increasing severity of extreme weather events due to climate change. There is a growing need, not only to mitigate these effects but to adapt to the inevitable impacts that will arise in the future. The capacity to act is the basis for reaching climate change adaptation, therefore it requires building the capacity of local and regional authorities to implement effective measures that address climate change’s effects on the built environment.

While adaptation has become a recognized priority, local and regional public authorities in Central Europe often lack the capacity, resources, and knowledge to implement effective climate adaptation and risk management measures. Communities face the challenge of adapting quickly to the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, but their efforts are often fragmented and insufficiently integrated into policy instruments such as spatial planning and action plans. In addition, gaps in knowledge and coordination between local actors hinder the development of systemic and participatory approaches to climate adaptation.

Various adaptation measures have already been implemented across Europe. These include the expansion of green infrastructure (e.g., urban parks, green roofs), early warning systems for extreme weather events, and building retrofits to improve energy efficiency and resilience. Policy frameworks such as the EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change and the European Green Deal have set ambitious goals to support adaptation efforts at the national and regional levels. However, these existing solutions often remain isolated, lack coordination across regions, and do not fully utilize innovative tools such as digital platforms or transnational knowledge sharing, which could enhance long-term resilience. SuPeRBE builds on these approaches, offering a more integrated, multi-level strategy that provides digital tools and capacity-building to support authorities throughout the entire cycle of adaptation planning and implementation.

The overall objective of SuPeRBE is to provide innovative and effective methods, tools, and competencies to deploy high-impact and effective adaptation and risk management measures at different spatial scales: buildings, neighbourhoods, and communities. SuPeRBE aims to enhance the capacity of local and regional authorities to define, implement, and evaluate climate adaptation measures, ensuring more resilient built environments in Central Europe. The project also aims to ensure the long-term sustainability and replicability of its results in other regions, not just in Europe but also around the world.

SuPeRBE integrates digital tools, participatory approaches, and capacity-building actions to empower public authorities. It proposes a comprehensive capacity-building approach targeting local authorities and stakeholders. The project will deliver a user-friendly Digital Toolkit that supports public authorities throughout the adaptation cycle. It includes an innovative multi-scale assessment tool (RBE-CE) based on the EN ISO 14091:2021 “Adaptation to climate change” standard, a decision-making methodology for cost-optimal adaptation measures, and a platform for 3D simulations of urban environments for "what-if" scenario analysis. The Digital Toolkit, combined with a new climate services system and a co-designed training platform, will help municipalities close their knowledge gaps and implement climate adaptation measures effectively across various spatial scales.