Expanding the Built4People Innovation Clusters Network: three new B4PICs sign the charter at ECTP Conference 2026

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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.