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CIRCular bio-based products for the BUILT environment

Project description

Paving the way for low-carbon construction

The construction and building sector accounts for approximately 37 % greenhouse gas emissions in the EU, making it a major contributor to climate change. To address this challenge, the EU-funded CIRCBUILT project aims to reduce the environmental impact of built environment by transforming waste sources of lignocellulose from agriculture and forestry into high-value, sustainable construction materials. The project key objective is to develop, validate and produce four 100 % bio-based building products: thermal insulation panels, construction panels, adaptive cooling windows, and indoor acoustic panels. Attention will be given to ensuring functional performance and product safety, as well as to design that adheres to New European Bauhaus values: sustainability (low carbon), inclusivity (accessibility) and beauty (aesthetic).

Objective

The building and construction sector accounts for 37% of global emissions (2023). To mitigate the environmental impact of this sector, bio-based products are a promising solution especially when they are sourced from secondary bio-based materials. The CIRCBUILT project will gather 7 academic partners and 5 industries (SMEs mainly) for 36 months to propose a novel high value-added pathway for bio-based waste/residue sources of lignocellulose from the agricultural, agrofood and forestry industries, while being aligned with the cascading principles. Three novel intermediate components will act as main building blocks: foam-formed materials manufactured using two novel resource-efficient processes; first-of-a-kind thermochromic nanocellulose-based films and coatings; isocyanate- and formaldehyde-free bio-based binders as unique selling point on the adhesive market. This will serve as basis to the development and validation at TRL5 of four different types of products 100% made from secondary bio-based materials for the construction sector: 1) thermal insulation panels, 2) construction panels, 3) adapting cooling windows, and 4) indoor acoustic panels. Their technical performances will be comparable to their respective fossil-based benchmark, while unlocking the potential of circular value chains. A mock-up integrating the four products will be created for dissemination purposes, even to young generations of end-users. CIRCBUILT will engage with key stakeholders from the construction sector, as well as the broader cultural and artistic sector for going way beyond alignment with stakeholders’ requirements and NEB values; key stakeholders will be gathered in a Stakeholder Forum from the project’s beginning and actively participate in the products’ development and design creative processes. Novel circular business models will serve as basis to the overall project’s exploitation, preparing the industrialisation and commercialisation of the CIRCBUILT products.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MISS-2024-NEB-01

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Coordinator

TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT OY
Net EU contribution
€ 1 325 847,00
Address
TEKNIIKANTIE 21
02150 Espoo
Finland
Region
Manner-Suomi Helsinki-Uusimaa Helsinki-Uusimaa
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost
€ 1 325 847,00

Participants (9)

Partners (2)