Call for clusters to join the Built4People Innovation Cluster Network!

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On 1 April 2025, STAR*track opened applications for clusters to join the Built4People Innovation Cluster (B4PIC) Network. The call is open to existing hubs and clusters across the European built environment that are committed to formally engaging with B4P objectives and being guided by the New European Bauhaus (NEB) principles.

A B4PIC is a network of innovation driven-stakeholders, typically local or regional clusters, accelerating people-centric, EU-scale innovation for a sustainable built environment. The network has expanded to reach 18 officially recognised members since 2023 via the Nebula project.

Joining the B4PIC Network offers clusters key benefits to enhance their impact and accelerate growth. This includes funding opportunities, research expansion, NEB guidance, high-level networking, increased EU visibility, and the opportunity to communicate directly with the European Commission (EC).

Submit your expression of interest here to apply to join the B4PIC Network. The deadline for applications is 31 May 2025.

For more details on the B4PIC Network, benefits and the applications process, please access the information sheet here.

For any additional enquiries please contact info@built4people.eu.

Nebula’s Final Event: A Day of Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing

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The final event of the Nebula project took place on 6 March 2025, bringing together over 100 participants in Brussels for a day of discussions, presentations, and networking. Organised in cooperation with the AEGIR, Woodstock, INGUMA, and Craft Cities projects, the event provided a platform to explore key themes in sustainable innovation and the built environment. 

Larissa De Rosso (ACE-CAE) discusses the promotion of New European Bauhaus principles and introduces the NEB Advisors.

The morning session, hosted by Nebula, opened with a presentation on the Built4People partnership and its work programme. Representatives from the hosting projects set the stage for the discussions ahead, highlighting the role of collaboration in driving sustainable transformation.

The first session focused on the power of innovation clusters, examining how they foster collaboration and aim to accelerate sustainability in the built environment. Experts discussed both the challenges and opportunities of innovation and shared their experiences with the process of signing the Built4People Innovation Cluster (B4PIC) Charter.

Karine Laffont-Eloire (Dowel Innovation) leads the panel discussion on beautiful, sustainable, and inclusive renovation aligned with New European Bauhaus values.

The second session explored how to make renovation more sustainable, inclusive, and beautiful. Speakers presented case studies showcasing successful renovation approaches that align with the principles of circularity. 

A milestone for Built4People Innovation Clusters 

Six prospective B4PICs sign the Built4People Innovation Cluster Charter.

A key moment was the signing of the Built4People Innovation Cluster Charter, where six prospective B4PICs formalised their commitment to advancing sustainability and innovation in the built environment. This marks a significant step in strengthening cross-sector collaboration and supporting the growth of regional innovation clusters across Europe. Click here to learn more about the B4PIC cluster signing.  

Laura Pallares (WorldGBC) moderates the ‘Clusters to Drive Sustainable Innovation’ session.

Continuing the conversation on sustainable innovation 

The afternoon session and second day of the event, led by the AEGIR, Woodstock, INGUMA, and Craft Cities projects, built upon the discussions from day 1. Participants delved deeper into strategies for fostering sustainable innovation and collaboration across the built environment sector. 

Looking ahead: the STAR*track project 

Claudia Hunziker Keller (NOBATEK) introduces the STAR*track project.

As Nebula comes to an end, its work will continue through the STAR*track project, which launched in May 2024 and runs until April 2027. STAR*track aims to expand and strengthen the B4PIC Network established under Nebula, by offering supportive tools, funding opportunities, and training on sustainable and inclusive development.

Learn more about STAR*track.  

The presentations from the Nebula final event can be found here.

For those who couldn’t attend or wish to revisit the discussions, the full webinar recording is available here.

Nebula Welcomes Six New Clusters Into Built4People Innovation Cluster Network

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Signing of the charter

On Thursday March 6 2025, six Prospective Built4People Innovation Clusters (B4PICs) signed the Built4People (B4P) Innovation Cluster Charter at a special ceremony held at the Nebula project’s final event, ‘Shaping Sustainable Futures’, in Brussels, Belgium.

The six Prospective B4PICs are:

A B4PIC is a group of innovation-driven stakeholders from the built environment that engages in a tailored development and maturation process nurtured by the B4P Partnership and its two Coordination and Support Action (CSA) projects: Nebula and STAR*track.

Via this process, a cluster aims to expand its geographical reach, cross-sector collaboration, and multidisciplinary expertise, ultimately enhancing the sustainability and impact of its members’ innovations.

A growing innovation network

The first members of the B4PIC Network, Build:INN and Odéys (from the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Euskadi Navarra euro-region), signed the charter on 18 September 2023, becoming frontrunner B4PICs and confirming their participation in the network.

Ten further clusters from Portugal, Hungary, Italy, Spain, France, Finland and Belgium signed the charter on Monday 23 September 2024, at the Built4People Stakeholder Forum, totalling 18 clusters now officially recognised as members of the B4PIC Network.

Between them, the clusters’ specialisms are diverse and varied, however, each cluster shares the collective goal of increasing sustainability within the European built environment via innovation and collaboration.

A further expression of interest call for more clusters to apply to join the B4PIC Network will be launched by STAR*track on 1 April 2025.

Built4People, Nebula and STAR*track

The B4P Partnership is a co-programmed public-private partnership within Horizon Europe’s Cluster 5 (climate, energy and mobility). The partnership brings together the European Commission (EC) and two leading associations — the European Construction and sustainable built environment Technology Platform (ECTP) and the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) Europe Regional Network — with a membership base of actors in the built environment.

With €780M (a mix of public and private finance) to fund innovations for the European built environment from 2021–2027, B4P also fosters the establishment of a B4PIC Network, supported by Nebula and STAR*track.

Nebula launched in October 2022 and finishes in March 2025. Building on Nebula’s foundational work, STAR*track runs from May 2024 to April 2027 and aims to further expand and strengthen the B4PIC Network via supportive tools, access to funding opportunities and training on sustainable and inclusive development.

Laura Pallares, Head of Europe, WorldGBC, was present at the cluster signing ceremony and said:

“It was fantastic to witness six more clusters sign the Built4People Innovation Cluster Charter and to officially welcome them into the B4PIC Network.

 These clusters will undoubtedly invigorate and strengthen the B4PIC Network via their efforts to increase people-centric sustainable innovation, their cross-collaboration and sharing of new ideas, and their desire to work in alignment with the key principles of the New European Bauhaus; sustainability, beauty and inclusivity for all.

Their collective signing of the charter marks a key step in the Built4People Partnership’s efforts to diversify and strengthen its network and to help catalyse the research and innovation agenda across the European built environment.”

Learn more about the B4PIC Network.

Learn more about Nebula and STAR*track.

Final Agenda of NEBULA’s final event now available!

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On March 6th will take place the final event of the NEBULA project, in cooperation with other EU-funded projects related to the Built Environement and the New European Bauhaus (CrAFt Cities, AEGIR, INGUMA and WOODSTOCK).

During the day, we will discuss the projects’ results and lessons learnt on how:

  • Clusters can drive innovation for sustainable construction across Europe,
  • Renovation can become more sustainable, beautiful and inclusive,
  • Digital tools and education can help implement the New European Bauhaus,
  • The New European Bauhaus is taken up by municipalities.

We are excited to announce that you can also attend the event online! The Venue in Brussels is now full, but you can register for the online session by clicking here. Detailed instructions on how to connect will be sent to your email once you register

You can download the agenda here: Shaping Sustainable Futures Agenda 6 March

 

Creating Innovative Networks for a Sustainable Built Environment: Highlights from Nebula’s final Webinar

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On 28 January 2025, Nebula’s final webinar, ‘Creating Innovative Networks for a Sustainable Built Environment’, showcased the power of collaboration under the Buil4People (B4P) Partnership.

The webinar’s agenda included:

  • Opening by Karine Laffont-Eloire, Dowel Innovation
  • The relevance of Nebula in our ecosystem and the interlinkage with the Built4People Partnership by Anastasiya Yurchyshyna, ECTP
  • Built4People Innovation Clusters and the New European Bauhaus, a comprehensive approach by Larissa De Rosso, ACE
  • The importance of financial tools by Julie Saccomano, Dowel Innovation
  • Testimonial from B4PIC frontrunners by Noelia Ortiz, BuildINN
  • STAR*track aims and objectives by Lise Raynaud, Nobatek
  • Closing by Karine Laffont-Eloire, Dowel Innovation

The Webinar provided insights into Nebula’s role in supporting Built4People Innovation Clusters (B4PICs) in unlocking new opportunities and fostering cross-border partnerships, promoting peer learning activities and facilitating access to funding.

Tools such as the Metabuilding Platform and the finance toolbox were highlighted which promote knowledge sharing, innovation, funding opportunities and collaboration across Europe. The STAR*Track project aims to continue the work of Nebula and expand the B4PIC Network further to promote sustainable and people-centric innovations within the European built environment.

Don’t forget to sign up for the final Nebula event in Brussels on 6-7 March 2025 to learn more about the projects’ results and lessons learned. Sign up here.

Please watch the full webinar here.

Nebula Appoints NEB Advisors to Connect Local Innovation with the New European Bauhaus Initiative

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The Nebula project has taken a significant step towards advancing the New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative by appointing NEB Advisors, a group of experts in the European built environment. 

These advisors aim to connect local innovation networks with the resources and opportunities available via the Nebula project while supporting the broader NEB initiative.

The NEB is a 2021 initiative by the European Commission that aims to create sustainable, inclusive, and beautiful living spaces. It connects art, culture, science, and technology to support the European Green Deal’s goals of climate neutrality and resource efficiency. 

The NEB Advisors hope to promote the NEB values of beauty, sustainability, and togetherness. By linking national stakeholders in the built environment with the broader NEB framework, they aim to empower local networks and facilitate the sharing of key resources and insights across Europe.

Key responsibilities of the NEB Advisors include:

  • Disseminating the NEB Handbook to local networks as a key guidance tool on the NEB initiative.
  • Promoting Nebula’s peer-learning webinars and events, encouraging knowledge-sharing and collaboration.
  • Highlighting Horizon Europe (HE) funding opportunities for NEB-related projects within their networks.
  • Identifying local needs, such as financing, upskilling, and collaboration, and connecting these with the Nebula consortium.

The launch of the NEB Advisors represents a significant effort to strengthen the NEB initiative’s impact. Their work is expected to drive innovation and sustainability in the built environment, ensuring that the NEB initiative’s values continue to shape a sustainable and people-focused future for Europe. 

Click here to see the full suite of NEB Advisors.

Synthesis of the workshop’s outcome about implementing the New European Bauhaus in EU-funded projects now online

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On September 24th in Luxemburg, the Nebula project organised the very first workshop dedicated to the New European Bauhaus (NEB) at the Sustainable Places Conference.

The objectives of the session were to raise awareness about the NEB amongst a mixed audience of experts from the built environment, question how they address the NEB value in their respective R&D projects, and identify the remaining challenges towards the further implementation of the new Bauhaus.

Participants discussed their perceptions, good practices, and remaining challenges with regards to implementing the NEB values (beautiful, sustainable, inclusive) and working principles (participatory approach, multi-level engagement, and transdisciplinary).

You can read the full synthesis of the participants’ exchanges following this link.

Built4People Innovation Cluster Charter signed by nine clusters at Built4People Stakeholder Forum 2024

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Members of the nine B4PICs that signed the B4PIC Charter at the European Convention Center, Luxembourg.

Signing of the charter

On Monday 23 September 2024, nine Prospective Built4People Innovation Clusters (B4PICs) signed the Built4People (B4P) Innovation Cluster Charter as part of a dedicated signing ceremony at the Built4People Stakeholder forum, held at the European Convention Center, Luxembourg.

A B4P Innovation Cluster (B4PIC) is a group of innovation-driven stakeholders from the built environment that engage in a tailored development and maturation process nurtured by the B4P Partnership. Through this process, the cluster aims to expand its geographical reach, cross-sector collaboration, and multidisciplinary expertise, ultimately enhancing the sustainability and impact of its members’ innovations.

The nine B4PICs were supported by the Nebula consortium, each demonstrating their further commitment to the B4PIC network by signing the charter. The B4PICs who signed the charter were as follows:

Other network clusters

The first members of the B4PIC Network, Build:INN (Basque Country Construction Cluster) and Odéys (Cluster construction et aménagements durables in Nouvelle-Aquitaine), signed the B4PIC Charter on 18 September 2023, thereby becoming frontrunner B4PICs and confirming their participation in the network. These clusters are collaborating to mobilise innovation in the building and construction sector in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Euskadi Navarra euroregion.

Earlier in September 2024, the B4PIC Network welcomed Novabuild, a new Innovation Cluster from Pays de la Loire, further strengthening the network’s commitment to innovation in the built environment.

Six further clusters from Serbia, France, Italy, Greece, and Bosnia and Herzegovina are scheduled to sign the B4PIC charter by March 2025. 

Built4People Partnership, Nebula and STAR*track

The Nebula project has developed a robust maturation process that guides clusters through three stages of maturity, from ‘Prospective’, to ‘Emerging’ and then finally, ‘Established’. 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 ‘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 B4P Partnership is a co-programmed public-private partnership within Horizon Europe’s Cluster 5 (climate, energy and mobility). The partnership brings together the European Commission (EC) and two leading associations — ECTP and World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) Europe Regional Network — with a membership base of actors in the built environment.

With €780M (a mix of public and private finance) to fund innovations for the European built environment from 2021–2027, B4P also fosters the establishment of an Innovation Cluster Network. This network is supported by two Coordination and Support Action (CSA) projects, Nebula and STAR*track. 

Bridging the Built4People Partnership with the New European Bauhaus (an EU movement for sustainable living), the Nebula project has established a network of Innovation Clusters and  offers dedicated support to clusters that have joined the network.

Building upon Nebula’s foundational work, STAR*track aims to expand, strengthen, and support the B4PIC Network and to provide the B4PICs and their members with ICT (Information Computer Technology) tools, access to funding opportunities, and training on sustainable and inclusive development.

Laura Pallares, Head of Europe, WorldGBC, said:

“It was incredibly exciting to witness and celebrate the nine B4PICs signing the Built4People Innovation Cluster Charter. Between them, the clusters represent a diverse array of sustainable innovation across the European built environment. Their collective signing of the charter marks a further step in the Built4People Network’s efforts to catalyse change and galvanise actors of the European architectural landscape into sustainable action.”

Learn more about the B4PIC Network here.

Learn more about Nebula and STAR*track.