One of the highlights of the ECTP Conference 2026, held in Brussels on 26–27 May, was the session dedicated to the evolution and future development of the Built4People Innovation Clusters (B4PIC)  Network.

The session showcased the progress achieved by the B4PIC Network in strengthening collaboration, accelerating innovation uptake and fostering regional engagement across Europe’s built environment ecosystem. By connecting research organisations, industry actors, public authorities and local stakeholders, B4PICs play a key role in translating European research and innovation results into tangible impact on the ground.

Opening the session, Anastasiya Yurchyshyna, Secretary General of ECTP, recalled the vision and objectives of the Built4People co-programmed partnership under Horizon Europe, highlighting its mission to accelerate the transition towards a sustainable, climate-neutral and people-centric built environment. She also presented the current state of the B4PIC Network, which today brings together 34 B4PICs from 21 countries across the EU and beyond. Of these, 26 had already achieved Emerging B4PIC status, while eight were recognised as Prospective B4PICs, demonstrating the growing interest in joining the network and contributing to its objectives.

A key moment of the session was the B4PIC signing ceremony, during which three Prospective B4PICs officially signed their B4PIC Charters and became Emerging B4PICs:

• ARIC Cluster (Rioja Association for Innovation in Construction): ARIC is a non-profit association made up of companies and different entities that cover the entire value chain of the construction sector and share an interest in promoting its sustainable and balanced development.

• Digital Innovation Cluster for the Built Environment (DICE): DICE seeks to establish a value-chain of digital planning and construction for smart buildings and smart cities, and bring a data-driven perspective to B4PIC’s physical-built environment innovation ecosystem (data-driven design and engineering, wireless infrastructures, and digital planning tools).

• Xylofutur: The national competitiveness cluster for the forest-wood-chemical sector in France, aims to develop the competitiveness of the sector through Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) and to sustainably meet the needs of industry and society while preserving resources.

The signing marked an important milestone in the continued expansion of the network and reaffirmed the commitment of regional innovation ecosystems across Europe to support collaboration, knowledge exchange and innovation deployment in the built environment sector.

As the Built4People Partnership continues to mobilise stakeholders across the value chain, the growing B4PIC Network demonstrates the importance of place-based innovation ecosystems in bringing European research closer to markets, citizens and regions.

The ceremony also highlighted the increasing momentum behind the network and its contribution to amplifying the impact of both Built4People and ECTP activities, creating stronger links between European initiatives and regional implementation. With new members joining and existing clusters further strengthening their activities, the B4PIC Network continues to play a central role in ensuring that innovation reaches the local level and contributes to a more sustainable, resilient and people-centred built environment across Europe.

 Built4People is delighted to announce that the European Construction and sustainable built environment Technology Platform (ECTP) has released a preliminary programme for its 2026 annual conference.

Taking place between 26–27 May 2026 at the Thon Hotel Bristol Stephanie in Brussels, Belgium, this year’s conference is entitled “Building Europe’s Competitiveness in the Built Environment: from Strategic Vision to Industrial Impact”.

The preliminary programme provides a first overview of the main sessions, topics and speakers, and reflects the three major priorities of this year’s event:

• Looking towards a resilient, decarbonised, adaptive and regenerative built environment
• How to create an enriching, inclusive and health-improving built environment
• Examining a competitive, digitalised and circular value chain

The event will bring together key stakeholders from across the construction and built environment value chain to discuss future priorities in research and innovation, share the updated Position Papers of the ECTP Committees, and launch the discussions for the revision of the Strategic Research Agenda (SRIA).

Among the wide range of sessions covering key topics such as decarbonisation, circularity, digitalisation and innovation in the built environment, two sessions may be of particular interest for the Built4People community:

26 May (17:30–18:15) “History and state-of-play of the Built4People Innovation Clusters network (B4PIC network). Signing Ceremony of B4PIC Charters by new Emerging B4PICs”

Organised by the ECTP Secretariat and the Built4People Partnership management team.

This session will provide a clear overview of what the Built4People Innovation Clusters (B4PICs) are and their role in strengthening innovation at national and regional levels. Participants will also learn about the current state of the network, which already brings together 34 Built4People Innovation Clusters from 21 different EU-countries, and beyond.

The session will be followed by a Signing Ceremony, during which prospective B4PICs will officially sign their B4PIC Charters, becoming Emerging Built4People Innovation Clusters and committing to the maturation process.

27 May (10:20–11:35) “NEB Facility: which achievements, which gaps?”

Organised by Dowel Innovation.

This session will focus on the New European Bauhaus (NEB) Facility and will provide an overview of the main achievements so far, as well as the existing gaps and future challenges. It will be particularly relevant for stakeholders involved in research, innovation and implementation activities linked to the built environment.

We invite you to explore the preliminary draft programme and secure your place at the Conference.

Early-bird registration is open until 31 March 2026, so make sure to register in time to benefit from the reduced rate.

In addition, ECTP members benefit from an extra 30% discount. If you are an ECTP member, please check your email inbox—a dedicated registration link with the member discount has already been sent.

Join ECTP and members of the B4P Network in Brussels to exchange ideas, strengthen collaboration and shape the future of the built environment in Europe.

The Built4People Projects Clustering Event took place on 16 October 2025 in Brussels, Belgium. Organised by The European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), the European Commission, and ECTP in the context of the Built4People project STAR*track, this annual event brings together representatives from all projects funded under the Built4People calls. The aim of the event is to provide a valuable networking opportunity, foster knowledge exchange, and share lessons learned, challenges faced, and good practices developed across the Built4People (B4P) community. 

The event opened with welcoming remarks by Alain Zarli (Secretary General of ECTP), Mathieu Daloze (Policy Officer at DG ENER), and Annarita Ferreri (Head of Sector at CINEA).  

Following the opening, Mathieu Daloze offered an overview of the latest European policies related to the construction sector, highlighting the recent updates to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), including National Building Renovation Plans, and initiatives under the Affordable Energy Action Plan such as the forthcoming Heating and Cooling Strategy, the Electrification Action Plan, and the Citizen Energy Package.  

Mathieu Daloze also shared insights on the Blueprint towards a decarbonised building stock by 2050, the current state of Cluster 5 (Climate, Energy and Mobility) and Work Programme 2025–2027, as well as early perspectives on the next Framework Programme 10 (FP10), which will continue to support partnerships in sustainable construction and energy efficiency under Pillar II.  

Annarita Ferreri presented the Built4People call statistics from 2021 to 2024, including projects funded under the 2024 call — FRAIMwork, SPHEERE, RADIANCE, ShieldBot, DTERBIM, INTEGRATES, CRedIBlE, Le Colaz, BLUEPRINT, and RenoVisor — some of which were supported through additional budget from the reserve list.  

Annarita Ferreri also introduced the upcoming call HORIZON-CL5-2026-02-D4, with a deadline of 17 February 2026, with three projects expected per topic. The presentation showed that EU contributions are fairly balanced between private-for-profit entities (33%) and research organisations (34%), with 40 ongoing projects, 639 participating organisations, and 27% of EU funding going to SMEs. As she noted, the high number of applications has led to a lower overall success rate in 2025. 

The next session, led by Alain Zarli, focused on the Built4People Partnership, providing an overview of its mission, general and specific objectives, as well as its KPIs and partner-specific impact pathways.  

Following this, Anastasiya Yurchyshyna, ECTP, presented the state of play and next steps of the B4PIC Network, which now includes participants from 21 countries across the EU27 and beyond, bringing together 34 Built4People Innovation Clusters (B4PICs)— 24 Emerging and 10 Prospective. 

 This growth reflects the outcomes of the B4P Charter Signature Ceremony, held on 15 October 2025 as part of the Built4People Stakeholders Forum, during which six new B4PICs signed their B4PIC Charters, officially becoming Emerging B4PICs and beginning their journey to implement their roadmaps and advance through the network’s maturity process. 

By signing the B4PIC Charter, clusters commit to progressing towards the required level of maturity over a specified timeline, developing their cluster status from ‘Emerging’ to ‘Prospective’ and then finally ‘Established’.  

Once the signed clusters have reached the highest level of defined maturity (by meeting at least two mandatory and one optional ‘success factors’), they will be regarded as an officially ‘Established’ cluster.  

The event continued with presentations from four mature projects funded under the 2021 and 2022 calls: FORTESIE, presented by Paraskevi Plagaki (European Dynamics); Herit4ages, by Carlos Ernesto Ochoa (IERC); RE-SKIN, by Fabrizio Leonforte (Politecnico di Milano); and WeForming, by Ângelo Casaleiro (R&D Nester), showcasing their achievements, challenges, and innovative solutions in the built environment sector. This was followed by presentations from four newly granted projects starting in 2025: CRedIBlE, introduced by Paris A. Fokaides (Euphyia Tech); INBLANC, by Andre van Delft (DEMO Consultants); Le’ Colaz, by Eleni Goni (E2ARC); and RADIANCE, by Gabriel Fontenla (Universidad de Vigo), highlighting the next wave of innovation and upcoming contributions to the Built4People Partnership. 

A dedicated break-out session on Challenges & Solutions on Data Collection, Integration & Interoperability, moderated by Olav Luyckx (CINEA), explored key issues and solutions across data management in Built4People projects. Participants discussed the types of data collected, ranging from building and energy consumption data, humidity, overused resources, and digital twin aspects to qualitative societal and life-cycle inventory data; and the challenges of collecting it in a useful, standardised, and confidential manner.  

Solutions included standardisation, using accessible data from other projects, and ensuring data security, with proposals for a European observatory and trustworthy servers. On data integration, challenges included difficulties with energy data, infrastructure, and using aggregated data from other EU projects. Solutions focused on secure sandboxes, minimum data standards, and potentially a joint data repository to enhance knowledge-sharing. Interoperability challenges highlighted differences in regulations, software, and platforms across countries, with open standards and protocols identified as key to overcoming these barriers.  

Finally, discussions emphasised the value of data for policy feedback, including input for the Smart Readiness Indicator testing phase in Member States and for local or regional roadmap development. Key takeaways included the need for standardisation and harmonisation, data security compliance, and the promotion of open standards and protocols to enhance interoperability. 

A second break-out session, Challenges & Solutions for Demo Buildings & Sites, moderated by Linda Novosadová (CINEA), focused on the technical, regulatory, financial, and social challenges of coordinating demo projects across different types of sites and regions.  

Participants highlighted difficulties such as the lack of clear guidelines for defining pilot projects, accessibility issues for people with disabilities, changes of ownership, permitting bottlenecks, legal barriers, certification processes, and skills gaps for innovative products.  

Solutions and good practices shared by the participants included implementing smaller demonstrators, ensuring transparency, applying risk management, involving building managers and owners, addressing privacy and insurance issues, and building trust with demo site responsible parties. Emphasis was also placed on the need for frameworks to define pilot projects, involving universal design experts, and maintaining proactive engagement with project officers.  

Key takeaways included the importance of clear guidelines, addressing accessibility, legal, and operational challenges, and adopting flexible, adaptive strategies to manage risks and ensure successful project implementation. 

The event concluded with Veronika Schröpfer (CINEA) presenting a synthesis of the break-out sessions, summarising the key challenges, solutions, and best practices discussed. Annarita Ferreri closed the event by thanking all participants for their presence and engagement, emphasising the importance of always seeing projects, maintaining ongoing dialogue between project officers and participants, and ensuring that feedback informs policy through evidence-based information. 

The first Conference of Built4People Innovation Cluster (B4PIC), e-CODOMH, was held on 11–12 November at the Demokritos Amphitheatre in Athens, Greece, marking an important milestone for Greece’s growing ecosystem in sustainable construction and industrial innovation.

Bringing industry and research together

Bringing together companies from across the construction and materials value chain, alongside universities, research centres and public bodies, the two-day event highlighted the transformation currently reshaping both the Greek and European built environment.

Conference attendees explored themes ranging from sustainable renovation and circularity to advanced manufacturing technologies and the use of digital tools in the construction sector. What set the conference apart, however, was its strong emphasis on uniting business and science in a format designed to foster real synergies—positioning e-CODOMH as an emerging hub of knowledge, research and production within Greece, and beyond.

Key messages from industry and experts

Opening the event, e-CODOMH President, George Eliades, underscored the conference’s role as a space for connection and development, noting the cluster’s potential to accelerate innovation across the built environment.

Leading industrial players, including platinum sponsor Elval Colour and gold sponsors ALUMINCO and Ilicon, shared insights into their ongoing efforts to develop low-carbon materials and environmentally responsible products. Their contributions reflected a shared commitment to drive sustainable growth via collaboration and to support the market’s transition to cleaner, smarter building solutions.

Technology providers also played a central role at the conference, with companies such as Core Innovation Groups showcasing digital solutions powered by artificial intelligence. Their presence underscored how Industry 4.0 technologies are increasingly shaping manufacturing and construction processes in Greece.

The sustainability agenda was further strengthened by contributions from various national organisations and experts. Speakers from the Greek Sustainable Buildings Council and Knauf Insulation highlighted the need for continuous collaboration, emphasising the crucial role of advanced materials and design practices in decarbonising the built environment.

Understanding e-CODOMH

Beyond its technical discussions, the conference offered the broader market an opportunity to better understand e-CODOMH’s mission and evolution. Founded in 2021 to bridge businesses, academia and research, the B4PIC continues to support innovation and respond to the complex challenges of modern construction.

Hosting the event at Demokritos Amphitheatre symbolically reinforced this commitment, bringing together technology, science and industry under one roof.

Looking towards a sustainable future

As the event concluded, a clear message emerged: the technologies and solutions presented are not aspirations for the distant future—they are already shaping today’s market. Greece is not simply keeping pace with European developments; in many areas, it is taking a leading role.

With strong engagement and a shared vision across sectors, the success of the first e-CODOMH Conference sets the stage for continued collaboration and further advances in sustainable construction. The next steps are awaited with great interest across the industry.

Learn more about the B4PIC Network.