Periodic Reporting for period 3 - METABUILDING LABS (METAclustered, SME oriented European Open Innovation Test Bed for the BUILDING envelope materials industrial sector using a harmonised and upgraded technical framework and living LABS)
Berichtszeitraum: 2024-01-01 bis 2025-01-31
The METABUILDING LABS project is a five-year Horizon 2020 EU funded Innovation project whose main objective is to unlock potential, improve competitiveness and boost market impacts of the European construction sector’s small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) offering an Open Innovation Test Bed (OITB). Through a Single Entry Point, which is reflected in an Open Innovation Digital Platform (metabuilding.com) SMEs will have access to a powerful innovation ecosystem with more than 100 testing facilities across 12 EU countries : AUSTRIA · BELGIUM · FRANCE · GERMANY · HUNGARY · IRELAND · ITALY · POLAND · LUXEMBOURG · SPAIN · SWEDEN · TURKEY. A large consortium of 40 partners across 13 countries have joined forces to provide the whole construction sector with easy access to this wide network of high value testing facilities including Laboratories, Test Benches, Pilot Buildings, Living LABS and innovative services allowing stakeholders to develop and test their innovations and building envelope solutions for next generation buildings.
The METABUILDING LABS OITB can leverage on the innovation ecosystem that has being kickstarted and set-up in its sister project METABUILDING (INNOSUP H2020)and advertise its services on the METABUILDING digital multi-sided platform which is conceived as the meeting point of the innovation ecosystem for the enlarged built environment sector bringing together innovation actors, clusters and platforms on regional, national and European level. Especially, the integration of regional clusters is an important feature to reach potential clients, notably SMEs. Both projects make a proactive use of the metaclustering and innovation ecosystem concepts to disseminate and relay the OITB offer. metabuilding.com platform will be the ubiquitous digital backbone for the enlarged built environment EU innovation ecosystem, including cross-sectoral representation and backed by several EU high-level industrial platforms like notably ECTP (European Construction Technology Platform), European Aluminium (the association representing the EU aluminium industry) and other entities partner of METABUILDING.
In order to reach the COP21 goal of nearly-zero energy, zero emission buildings, which is essential for climate change mitigation and adaption, sustainable building solutions are required. To boost the rather slow-paced innovation and unleash the full potential of innovation in construction, it is crucial to strengthen SMEs as one of the most important innovation motors.
To achieve this aim, various specific objectives have been defined for the project:
• Build a future-proof, upgradable, competitive, sustainable, and inclusive European Construction Sector Innovation Ecosystem and OITB network.
• Stimulate investments in building-envelope innovations and new technologies by providing test beds evidence on material and system performance for companies and investors.
• Contribute to the enhancement of technical and environmental quality of building products in Europe, by providing innovation support to technology developers.
• Unlock the potential of SMEs by providing access to prototyping, testing and certification services and infrastructures, in order to improve the quality of new products and solutions.
• Test user acceptance and environmental requirements of products and co-develop solutions implementing a “pilots as Living Labs” strategy
• To fully implement a metaclustering approach in the 12 countries represented in the METABUILDING LABS project as the pro-active solution of how to bring SMEs into the OITB ecosystem
• To harmonize and upgrade lab test framework and facilities in a holistic set of adapted services for a better readability of envelope materials; technical characterisation adapted to the new smart generation of technologies.
• To develop a standardized, high quality, fast, affordable, replicable, Open Source, Open Access, Open Data 1:1 scale, real conditions building envelope testbed.
The METABUILDING LABS OITB can leverage on the innovation ecosystem that has being kickstarted and set-up in its sister project METABUILDING (INNOSUP H2020)and advertise its services on the METABUILDING digital multi-sided platform which is conceived as the meeting point of the innovation ecosystem for the enlarged built environment sector bringing together innovation actors, clusters and platforms on regional, national and European level. Especially, the integration of regional clusters is an important feature to reach potential clients, notably SMEs. Both projects make a proactive use of the metaclustering and innovation ecosystem concepts to disseminate and relay the OITB offer. metabuilding.com platform will be the ubiquitous digital backbone for the enlarged built environment EU innovation ecosystem, including cross-sectoral representation and backed by several EU high-level industrial platforms like notably ECTP (European Construction Technology Platform), European Aluminium (the association representing the EU aluminium industry) and other entities partner of METABUILDING.
In order to reach the COP21 goal of nearly-zero energy, zero emission buildings, which is essential for climate change mitigation and adaption, sustainable building solutions are required. To boost the rather slow-paced innovation and unleash the full potential of innovation in construction, it is crucial to strengthen SMEs as one of the most important innovation motors.
To achieve this aim, various specific objectives have been defined for the project:
• Build a future-proof, upgradable, competitive, sustainable, and inclusive European Construction Sector Innovation Ecosystem and OITB network.
• Stimulate investments in building-envelope innovations and new technologies by providing test beds evidence on material and system performance for companies and investors.
• Contribute to the enhancement of technical and environmental quality of building products in Europe, by providing innovation support to technology developers.
• Unlock the potential of SMEs by providing access to prototyping, testing and certification services and infrastructures, in order to improve the quality of new products and solutions.
• Test user acceptance and environmental requirements of products and co-develop solutions implementing a “pilots as Living Labs” strategy
• To fully implement a metaclustering approach in the 12 countries represented in the METABUILDING LABS project as the pro-active solution of how to bring SMEs into the OITB ecosystem
• To harmonize and upgrade lab test framework and facilities in a holistic set of adapted services for a better readability of envelope materials; technical characterisation adapted to the new smart generation of technologies.
• To develop a standardized, high quality, fast, affordable, replicable, Open Source, Open Access, Open Data 1:1 scale, real conditions building envelope testbed.
Metabuilding ASBL as Single Entry Point of the Metabuilding Labs OITB
• Founding of the Metabuilding Association, design of ecosystem business models, and establishment of the Innovation Assistant process.
• Expansion of the innovation ecosystem from the sister Metabuilding (INNOSUP) project, now connecting over 1900 organizations across 13 countries.
• Development of outcome-oriented communication tools to raise awareness of OITB services and attract new clients.
Metabuilding Platform (metabuilding.com) as an Integration Hub for OITB Services
• Definition of nine digital service modules, user scenarios, and system workflows for integration into the platform.
• Initial launch of three core modules: testing facilities catalogue and search engine, pilot site database and matchmaking, and project/service management module.
Metabuilding Labs OITB
• Adaptation of the TRL scale for construction to structure the OITB technical offer and enhance legibility.
• Integration of 272 test services and 36 infrastructures into the platform catalogue for improved visibility and access.
• Acquisition and upgrade of infrastructures across the network.
• Structuring of a modular training programme and preparation of the first OITB training session.
O3BET a a Turnkey solution
• Design of a replicable, open-access Building Envelope Testbed (O3BET); first version delivered and replication launched in fiveadditional sites.
• Successful commissioning of the first O3BET unit with sensor installation and data system integration.
• Development of a digital platform for data exploitation and management of O3BET activities.
• Launch of the O3BET Network to foster coordination, knowledge exchange, and harmonisation among operators.
Technologies Development and Pilot Sites as Living Labs
• Development, testing, and prototyping of six innovative building envelope technologies using Metabuilding Labs services.
• Implementation of the Living Lab methodology to co-develop and test innovations on real buildings.
• Deployment of monitoring architecture on six pilot sites now collecting façade performance data.
• Development of experimental protocols, performance indicators, and data visualization tools.
• Launch of social acceptance assessments and reflexive monitoring at pilot sites.
• Delivery of a marketing checklist aligned with current EU and national requirements for envelope systems.
• Founding of the Metabuilding Association, design of ecosystem business models, and establishment of the Innovation Assistant process.
• Expansion of the innovation ecosystem from the sister Metabuilding (INNOSUP) project, now connecting over 1900 organizations across 13 countries.
• Development of outcome-oriented communication tools to raise awareness of OITB services and attract new clients.
Metabuilding Platform (metabuilding.com) as an Integration Hub for OITB Services
• Definition of nine digital service modules, user scenarios, and system workflows for integration into the platform.
• Initial launch of three core modules: testing facilities catalogue and search engine, pilot site database and matchmaking, and project/service management module.
Metabuilding Labs OITB
• Adaptation of the TRL scale for construction to structure the OITB technical offer and enhance legibility.
• Integration of 272 test services and 36 infrastructures into the platform catalogue for improved visibility and access.
• Acquisition and upgrade of infrastructures across the network.
• Structuring of a modular training programme and preparation of the first OITB training session.
O3BET a a Turnkey solution
• Design of a replicable, open-access Building Envelope Testbed (O3BET); first version delivered and replication launched in fiveadditional sites.
• Successful commissioning of the first O3BET unit with sensor installation and data system integration.
• Development of a digital platform for data exploitation and management of O3BET activities.
• Launch of the O3BET Network to foster coordination, knowledge exchange, and harmonisation among operators.
Technologies Development and Pilot Sites as Living Labs
• Development, testing, and prototyping of six innovative building envelope technologies using Metabuilding Labs services.
• Implementation of the Living Lab methodology to co-develop and test innovations on real buildings.
• Deployment of monitoring architecture on six pilot sites now collecting façade performance data.
• Development of experimental protocols, performance indicators, and data visualization tools.
• Launch of social acceptance assessments and reflexive monitoring at pilot sites.
• Delivery of a marketing checklist aligned with current EU and national requirements for envelope systems.
Overall, METABUILDING LABS project partners aim to deliver a large positive impact on the innovation performance of SMEs in the development of high quality and innovative building envelopes. In this perspective, the consortium structures the innovation process by carrying out several activities necessary to enhance the availability, accessibility, quality and cost of testing facilities across Europe from TRL 4 to TRL 8. When this overall impact is achieved, the innovation capacity of the EU will be strengthened and will generate direct economic impacts with the creation of new professions and other economic growth.