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Multi-stakeholder, Cross-sectorial, Collaborative long term Research & Innovation Road Map to overcome Technological and Non-technological barriers towards more energy-efficient buildings & districts

Final Report Summary - BUILDING UP (Multi-stakeholder, Cross-sectorial, Collaborative long term Research & Innovation Road Map to overcome Technological and Non-technological barriers towards …)

Project Context and Objectives:

The construction sector plays undoubtedly an important role in every nation economy in Europe. In the European Union (27) the construction industry accounts for a total production of 1305 billion and 13.2 million employees. This represents 10% of GDP and 7.3% of the total employment. The residential sector represents 46% of the total EU production, the non-residential sector 31% and civil engineering 23%. The construction sector may significantly contribute to the political objectives of mitigating climate change impacts, with direct impact on global warming and tightening supplies of energy as well as ageing societies and public health. Tackling this challenge goes however beyond the capability of the construction sector alone and will require a multi-disciplinary approach as well as coordinated efforts among different sectors. The European Construction Technology Platform (ECTP) has indeed recognised the importance of a closer cooperation and coordination among ETPs towards energy efficiency in the built environment from 2006, leading to the Multiannual Roadmap (from 2010 to 2013) on energy efficiency in building, developed by the European Energy-efficient Buildings Association members and other key stakeholders (ETPs, national/regional initiatives, etc.) within the EeB PPP initiative under the EC Recovery Package. The industry ambition is however clearly addressing a longer term scenarios in 20-40 years from now which goes clearly beyond the current EeB PPP objectives, which can be talked only by a widely shared cross-ETP coordinated approach.

In this framework, the strategic objective of the BUILDING UP Coordination Action was:
to create an effective coordination of ETPs and major initiatives whose SRAs and activities address energy efficiency in the built environment from an NMP perspective.

The project specifically aimed at identifying and reviewing the needs in terms of long term research and innovation, thus accelerating the implementation of sustainable solutions by addressing non-technological barriers and gaps at programme level.

The main drivers and needs which address this specific goal were:
1. the need for a jointly shared Industrial and Research Roadmap focused on long term high risk projects for a sustainable paradigm shift (beyond incremental innovation);
2. the need to build-up a network and a comprehensive and extended value-chain (and associated business models) involving institutions, government authorities, agencies and programme owners, developers, investors, utilities, suppliers and manufacturers, architects, engineers, contractors and craftsmen as well as occupiers;
3. the need to address also all those non-technological barriers and gaps between programme and initiatives which impose limitations to market take-up;
4. the need to jointly arrange large public consultations and debates to foster the environment needed to encourage the implementation of technological and non-technological solutions and to ensure that open and beneficial discussions form a basis for public appreciation of solutions.

Project Results:

The project activity brought significant results to the Consortium:
The extensive desk research created a common background and understanding of scenarios and trends and technological and non technological barriers in the field of energy efficiency in the built environment. This was particularly useful as partners come from different contexts (e.g. Textiles, Steels, Forest-based materials, advanced materials, construction, renewable energy etc.)

The organisation of 4 workshops with experts from different ETPs related to the sector led to development of roadmaps on 8 cross-ETP research and innovation areas.
The launch of an online survey through the Building Up Website open to Building Up stakeholders enabled to collect interest and inputs related to such cross-ETP areas. Stakeholders gave also some suggestions on specific actions at short, medium and long terms to achieve the development of such research and innovation areas.

Discussion and validation of the draft roadmaps during Awareness Raising Seminars (workshops within ETPs and other associations), during two Advisory Board Meetings and a final public event.

Open consultation of the roadmap through Building Up website and direct emails.

Release of the final Roadmap.

Dissemination activities were also conducted resulting in:
an updated project website http://www.buildingup-e2b.eu containing user-friendly information, news on latest Building Up meetings and released documents. In the private area of the website the invited experts and stakeholders have contributed to roadmapping activity by using the developed collaboration tools;
development and updating of a dissemination plan, with identification of communication and dissemination actions to enhance the visibility of the project and of the future roadmap;
dissemination materials for the public and to be used at dissemination events:
visual identity elements: project logo, web banner, poster, roll up, brochure;
general project presentation, template for deliverables;
newsletters ( February 2012, June 2012, October 2012)
broad communication flow, that involves several ETPs: ECTP, ESTEP, FTP, Suschem, EUMAT, Textile ETP as well as international organizations and networks such as E2BA, ENBRI, ERACOBUILD, ECCREDI;
invitation of project partners contacts to participate in an interactive platform to develop experts and stakeholders database (yellow pages) and joint the Roadmap consultation;
BUILDING UP presentations in several events, such as ECTP-E2BA-Eracobuild Conference, World Sustainable Conference, ENBRI (European Network of Building Research Institutes) meeting, Enterprise Europe Network Sector Group Sustainable Construction, International Construction Fair BUDMA2012, Industrial Technology Congress etc.
Awareness raising seminars organized by SusChem (April, June 2012), ESTEP (May 2012), FTP (June 2012), EUMAT (August 2012), Euratex (September 2012)
Organisation of dissemination events such as in Warsaw (5/10/2011), in Ljubljana (29/08/2012), and the final public workshop in Leuven (4/10/2012).
Organisation of study visits, in correspondence with other events (e.g. advisory board meeting and final event) in Ljubljana, Brussels and Leuven.
Publications in the construction magazines, scientific journals and conference proceedings (e.g. Materiay Budowlane (Polish monthly) "Bouwbedrijf" and "Bouwkroniek" (Belgian magazines), Construction Europe, The Sustainable Environment Research.

Potential Impact:
Building Up project will promote the European knowledge in the built environment and boost the industrial competiveness of the construction sector (in particular SMEs) and the inter-connected sectors. The project is well aligned with E2BA Roadmap priorities to complement the EU pathways in supporting energy savings in buildings and districts and preparing the all value chain of the building sector (designers, technology manufacturers, construction companies, energy utilities, etc.) to be in line with the 2050 decarbonisation goals of the European Economy.

Moreover, Building Up will contribute to tackle crucial challenges Europe is facing today of insufficient innovation, and several environmental and societal challenges. All the eight Cross-Platform Areas identified in the project will focus and provide support particularly to the key priorities Industrial leadership and Societal Challenges in the upcoming Horizon 2020.

Industrial leadership in particular by developing technologies enabling Energy-efficient buildings which will increase the technological competitiveness of EU industry and the involvement of a wide range of SMEs. Societal Challenges focusing on Health, demographic change and wellbeing; Secure, clean and efficient energy; Climate action, resource efficiency and raw materials with the overarching objective of sustainable development.

Project website: http://www.buildingup-e2b.eu