Mountain areas are defined by their high relief energy, dynamic nature, and diverse geo-, hydro-, eco-, and anthroposystems and are significantly affected by climate change and globalisation, presenting complex research challenges from local to global scales. Since 2006, the Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research (IGF), Austrian Academy of Sciences, has focused on human-environment relations and long-term monitoring in areas such as biodiversity, population and settlement, glaciers, protected areas, natural hazards, digital landscapes, and social-ecological transformations. Over the past year, IGF’s team identified the main challenges of mountain research through a series of workshops. The 3Ds – Drivers, Diversity, and Dynamics – emerged as central factors for gaining new knowledge and promoting sustainability transformations in mountain regions. New ways of research and activities, including long-term Living Labs and the integration of AI for data-based and multi- and trans-scalar analyses, are being implemented to support this research.