Drive system (100; 200; 300) based on cyclic conversion of thermal energy into mechanical or electrical energy by exploiting a temperature difference between at least two media (M1, M2) and the contraction of a metal element with shape memory properties, comprising: - at least one drive assembly (48, 48'; 49) comprising a housing (34; 34') with at least one metal element placed within the housing (34, 34'), - at least one restoring element located inside the housing (34; 34'), - at least one movable actuating element to which the metal element and the restoring element are coupled, - wherein a gaseous or liquid medium flows around the metal element and the restoring element, characterised in that - the drive assembly (48, 48'; 49) comprises at least one first store containing a first gaseous or liquid medium and at least one second store (11; 12) containing a second gaseous or liquid medium, wherein the first and second media are of different temperature, wherein the second store has a passage opening for direct connection of the second store to a cylinder chamber through a bottom of the housing (34, 34'), - the housing (34, 34') is a cylinder which contains a cylinder piston arranged in a liquid- and gas-tight manner and wherein the cylinder piston forms the actuating element, - the cylinder piston divides the cylinder into two separate cylinder chambers (14, 16), of which the one, first cylinder chamber bounded by the base contains the metal element with shape memory properties and the other, second cylinder chamber contains the restoring element, - wherein the metal element is anchored at an attachment point to the cylinder piston and at an attachment point located within the second store such that a portion of the metal element is in contact with the second gaseous or liquid medium of the second store and a portion is in contact with the second gaseous or liquid medium in the first cylinder chamber. - at least one drive assembly (48, 48'; 49) comprising a housing (34; 34') with at least one metal element placed within the housing (34, 34'), - at least one restoring element located inside the housing (34; 34'), - at least one movable actuating element to which the metal element and the restoring element are coupled, - wherein a gaseous or liquid medium flows around the metal element and the restoring element, characterised in that - the drive assembly (48, 48'; 49) comprises at least one first store containing a first gaseous or liquid medium and at least one second store (11; 12) containing a second gaseous or liquid medium, wherein the first and second media are of different temperature, wherein the second store has a passage opening for direct connection of the second store to a cylinder chamber through a bottom of the housing (34, 34'), - the housing (34, 34') is a cylinder which contains a cylinder piston arranged in a liquid- and gas-tight manner and wherein the cylinder piston forms the actuating element, - the cylinder piston divides the cylinder into two separate cylinder chambers (14, 16), of which the one, first cylinder chamber bounded by the base contains the metal element with shape memory properties and the other, second cylinder chamber contains the restoring element, - wherein the metal element is anchored at an attachment point to the cylinder piston and at an attachment point located within the second store such that a portion of the metal element is in contact with the second gaseous or liquid medium of the second store and a portion is in contact with the second gaseous or liquid medium in the first cylinder chamber.