More commitments to advancing research and innovation in construction and housing

17-10-2025

The 4th Built4People Stakeholders Forum took place on 15 October 2025 in Brussels, bringing together over 80 policymakers, industry leaders and researchers to explore how innovation can make Europe’s construction and housing sectors more affordable, sustainable and resilient. One of the highlights was the Built4People Innovation Cluster (B4PIC) Charter Ceremony, where new members officially joined the network.

Opening the event, Mathieu Daloze from the European Commission’s DG ENER and Alain Zarli, Secretary General of ECTP, set the tone for a day dedicated to advancing the green and digital transitions in the built environment. In their keynote speeches, Margareta Djordjevic, Head of Unit for Energy Efficiency at DG ENER, stressed the importance of the Energy Efficiency Directive and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, reminding participants that National Building Renovation Plans must be submitted by the end of 2025. Edward Woods, Head of R&D, Innovation and Venture Capital at Bouygues Construction and ECTP President, called for more open innovation and collaboration across the value chain to scale up sustainable solutions.

The session “Built4People | Activating the New European Bauhaus” featured Emilie Vandam from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and Larissa De Rosso from the Architects’ Council of Europe. They showed how the New European Bauhaus (NEB) and Built4People (B4P) initiatives are increasingly connected, fostering creativity and sustainability through research and innovation. This link was further illustrated during a technical session highlighting three projects—NEB Junction, MULTICLIMACT and SNUG—which demonstrated how EU policy frameworks translate into tangible innovation on the ground.

The afternoon session on “Affordable Housing – State of Play and Panel Discussion,” moderated by Isabel Pinto-Seppä from VTT and Anastasiya Yurchyshyna from ECTP, focused on how research and innovation can accelerate Europe’s transition towards affordable, sustainable housing. Edit Lakatos from DG ENER presented the work of the newly established Housing Task Force, which coordinates housing-related policies across seven Directorates-General and is preparing the upcoming European Affordable Housing Plan. She highlighted the plan’s priorities: boosting housing supply, productivity and investment, supporting vulnerable groups, and updating the definition of social housing under the new state aid rules. She also mentioned plans for a regular European Housing Summit.

Roman Horvath from DG GROW underlined the role of the construction ecosystem as a key enabler of Europe’s green and digital economy and announced that the EU Construction Strategy for Housing Supply will be published by the end of the year, with a preview to be shared at the High-Level Construction Forum on 27 October. João Gonçalves from Housing Europe showcased good practices from the Affordable Housing Initiative European Partnership, including Aalborg East in Denmark, Innovation City Ruhr and Nettelbeckplatz in Germany, and Sociale Energie Sprong in Belgium. He also highlighted other innovative approaches such as the reuse of construction materials, cooperative housing models, the repurposing of vacant buildings and nature-based solutions. Edward Woods closed the discussion by emphasising the need for systemic and digital solutions, greater standardisation, and mass customisation to boost efficiency and quality across the housing value chain.

Anastasiya Yurchyshyna presented the latest developments within the B4PIC Network, which now includes 34 clusters from 21 countries across and beyond the EU. The event’s symbolic highlight—the B4PIC Charter Signature Ceremony—saw six new members officially sign their Charters and join as Emerging B4PICs, marking the beginning of their journey within the network.

In her closing remarks, Veronika Schröpfer from CINEA underlined Built4People’s essential role as a connector between innovation, policy and industry within Europe’s built environment.

You can watch the recording with password: Bu25ReC1510F.