Over the past decade, standardization has become a decisive factor in Europe’s ability to advance the twin transition, strengthen competitiveness, and ensure technological sovereignty. The EU Standardization Strategy 2030 reinforces these ambitions by calling for a European standardization system that is faster, more innovation-friendly, more resilient, and capable of supporting industrial transformation and strategic value chains. In the construction sector - one of Europe’s largest and most resource-intensive industries, new products and technologies are emerging at a pace that requires more agile and anticipatory standardization pathways.
Within this strategic context, the “Agile and Flexible Construction Materials Standardization for Boosting the Twin Transition” (AFCOS) project was launched to reinforce the role of standardization as a driver for decarbonisation, digitalisation, circularity, and improved market access for innovative construction products. AFCOS focuses on identified standardization urgencies within the industrial ecosystem of construction and more specifically on standards supporting the following product groups: (1) low carbon cement and low carbon cement-based products (concrete, mortar, grout, etc.); (2) bio-based products for the insulation of the buildings’ envelope.
Building on a set of activities combining research work with stakeholder engagement, educational activities and ambitious exploitation initiatives, AFCOS strengthens Europe’s ability to respond to future industrial needs and contributes to a modernized standardization ecosystem that supports climate neutrality, innovation uptake, and long-term competitiveness.
AFCOS is funded by the European Union Horizon Europe Programme under Grant Agreement 101135855 and brings together 7 full and 5 associated partners from 9 EU countries encompassing research capacity, standardization expertise and industry representation and ecosystem actors, ensuring EU coverage and exploitability of the project results to a high level.
