BACKGROUND AND IMPACTThe raw materials present on the planet are a finite, limited and, in many cases, non-renewable resource, which is why the current consumption model is destroying many of these resources. For this reason, investment in research is necessary and, in this way, new production models should be promoted, if possible, based on the revaluation and reuse of industrial waste, encouraging the study and search for new markets for these recovered resources, considered as waste. In this way, industries are encouraged to adapt to the circular economy model with the environmental, social and economic advantages so necessary for our planet.Traditionally, the productive model that has sustained the system of growth of our society has been based on the use of the different available resources that, after their transformation within the production chain and their subsequent incorporation into the consumption chain, lost their resource condition to become waste, whose inevitable destination was the landfill. Hence the conception of a linear economy that prevails in today's productive industry.The main problems underlying this linear system are the commitment to the capacity to assimilate resources, with the consequent pollution, the accumulation of waste without use, the exploitation of renewable resources exceeding the renewal rate and the exhaustion of non-renewable resources due to their intensive consumption.The unsustainability of the current linear model imposed as the dominant pattern of economic development, requires progress towards the implementation of a growth model that optimizes the use of available resources and materials while retaining their value in the system for as long as possible, the circular economy.To this end, waste management plays a crucial role in the circular economy. The way waste is managed can lead to high recycling rates and the return of valuable materials to the economy, or on the contrary to an inefficient system in which most recyclable waste ends up in landfills or is incinerated, with potentially damaging effects on the environment and significant economic losses.Understanding that the waste generated during a production process, or due to the exhaustion of the useful life of a product is a potential resource, is one of the fundamental keys to initiating the transition process.According to the latest data provided by the EC on the circular economy, waste avoidance, eco-design, reuse and similar measures could provide EU companies with savings of 8% of annual turnover while reducing total annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2-4%.Furthermore, BIM use can change the work mode of architects and engineers. This tool is able to show a three-dimensional design from the beginning of the project and it provide information about each element that compose the project. It is a help to make easier the design, construction and the operation of a building project.The idea of this project is to add all in a single software called CircularBIM. Which is an Open Educational Resource where you can find information about: ecological construction details, techniques for the use and reuse of construction materials, reduction of waste… In addition to this, you can access to a free software to practice and obtain construction techniques that facilitate the reuse of the materials used in buildings.In conclusion, what we attempt to do is unify BIM and techniques for the revalorisation and reuse of construction materials to create an useful tool where students and professionals of AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) industry will be able to make aware about it as far as possible and implement in their daily work.OBJECTIVESTo contribute to overcome the situation described above, the main objectives are:• Increasing the awareness about the circular economy in construction sector.• Teaching to reduce waste generation of construction materials.• Reduce waste from the construction sector by reincorporating it into the value chain.• Provide information on the possibility of revaluation of each element.• Free access to a free software for the consultation and use of the techniques or methods of reuse of building materials, also in BIM format.• Involve professionals and students in new technologies such as BIM applications.PRODUCTS• Open Educational Resource. • Establishment of common learning outcomes on placing methods based on circular economy criteria, life cycle assessment (LCA) and relative regulations.• Developing a new interactive BIM-learning method for Circular Economy.• IT production of integrated training materials.CONSORTIUMThe consortium count on a highly qualified staff, who have already carried out other European projects successfully, due to their knowledge in the following fields, basic for this project:• Circular economy.• BIM technologies.• Develop of training materials and ITC based tools.• Experience in coordination of ERASMUS+ project.

The goal of the EXCITE project is to apply the well-established energy management scheme of the European Energy Award (eea) in Central and Eastern European municipalities, enabling them to become trusted partners to the investors and engaging local communities for deliberate climate action. This, on its end, will help attract new innovative businesses to the involved cities and municipalities and will intensify the local economies, supporting them in the surge for better living standard and maintaining young and vibrant communities proactively contributing to the energy transition. Through applying the methodology the eea methodology, the project will enhance the implementation of energy efficiency measures at local level through securing the necessary technical, economic and social conditions for attracting of private investors, promoting public entrepreneurship and successful leveraging of the scarce public resources. As achievement this goal requires broad public support, the project will invest significant efforts in developing interface capacities for engagement with the civil society and incentivize local communities to proactively use the available opportunities, becoming a driving force in the European energy transition. The actions will also support the implementation of the Covenant of Mayors, enabling more municipalities to join the initiative and serving as major data input and result monitoring tool for the actual implementation of the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs) of the involved municipalities. Last but not least, the embracing of the eea methodology will become the basis of an action-oriented peer learning platform, transferring experience and know-how from already well-developed Austrian, Swiss and French municipalities but also enabling peer to peer learning between cities in Eastern Europe, gradually shifting to more sustainable practices in their economic and social development.

Over the past decades, European standards have delivered great benefits for companies and consumers on the single market. In the light of the social and environmental ambitions of the new growth strategy – the EU Green Deal – and the twin transition, Europe’s competitiveness, technological sovereignty and ability to reduce dependencies will directly depend on how successful European actors are in standardisation at international level. The EU Standardization Strategy from 2022 calls for more flexible and focused approach to standardization processes which can respond to the fast pace of twin transition innovating. The Agile and Flexible Construction Materials Standardization for Boosting the Twin Transition (AFCOS) project aims to set up recommendations, for more agile standardization processes for construction materials based on pre-normative research performed horizontally in a collaborative fashion between key ecosystem players – research, standardization and industrial actors from four member states – Bulgaria, Romania, Italy and Belgium. AFCOS will focus on identified standardization urgencies within the industrial ecosystem of construction and more specifically on standards supporting low carbon cement. Building on a set of activities combining research work with stakeholder engagement, educational activities and ambitious exploitation initiatives, AFCOS will produce roadmaps for pre-standardization, educational and training courses, strategy for education and skills development in the field of standardization of new building materials and exploitation models for the benefit of the European Standardization Organizations (ESOs), national standardization bodies, educational institutions and industry. AFCOS brings together 7 full and 5 associated partners from 9 EU countries encompassing research capacity, standardization expertise and industry representation and ecosystem actors, ensuring EU coverage and exploitability of the project results to a high level.

The scope of the project is to develop and test methods for designing and implementing innovative and sustainable Strategic Plans for Waste Prevention and Management in various urban contexts that will enhance urban environmental resilience and guarantee progress towards more sustainable production and consumption patterns together with improvements waste recovery and recovered materials use. Urban_Wins will define a data set, based on material flow indicators, capable of supporting and orienting decision making processes for urban waste prevention and management. Knowledge of the factors that influence the metabolism of cities will be improved together with the understanding of how those factors can be transformed in positive drivers of technological, non-technological and governance changes. The information set produced by the consortium will also focus on how a more efficient use of resources and a better management of waste can improve urban quality and citizens’ welfare, key points for urban stakeholders involvement, both in the planning and implementation of actions. The proposal reunites diverse actors such as cities, research institutes and universities, environmental NGOs, IT&C, technological innovation and waste management companies, professional associations that represent EU regions, sectors and levels of governance. The complex partnership guarantees that advancement in EU research in the field of urban metabolism and waste management strategies is directly linked to stakeholder engagement and mutual learning and contributes to the achievement of resource efficiency and waste management objectives. Urban_Wins analytical tools will be built on the base of datasets and experiences of 24 EU cities from 6 European countries and the Strategic Plans will be tested by 8 EU cities and will encompass regulatory measures, educational initiatives and sector specific actions.

The built environment is ill-prepared for more frequent and increasingly intense climate-related extreme events. These cause severe socio-economic losses and adversely affects public health. Recent scientific and technological advances in the construction industry provide timely solutions for improving the resilience of buildings for specific hazards, but these are often not cost effective or eco-friendly. There is a lack of frameworks for assessing the climate resilience, making it challenging to develop optimal solutions for multi-hazard scenarios. MULTICARE will address this challenge by developing innovative multi-criteria decision-support frameworks and providing plug & play low-carbon resilient technologies for improving the multi-hazard resilience of our built environment in a cost-effective, reliable and sustainable manner. A suite of multi-disciplinary digital services and tools will be developed for multi-hazard resilience assessment, design, operation and management across multiple scales (material, component, building, neighbourhood/district). This will enable stakeholders to make more informed decisions to select materials/solutions and build resilient supply chains, even in case of cultural heritage buildings. We will demonstrate our results in large-scale pilots (3 buildings, 4 neighbourhoods/cities) in different countries with diverse conditions. A user-centred, inclusive and participatory approach will be consistently implemented at all stages of the project for citizens engagement and for extending the durability of MULTICARE impact. To achieve the project goals, MULTICARE combines 21 partners covering the whole technical value chain required for solutions in resilient and sustainable buildings. The Consortium includes experience in social sciences, user engagement and training. The Consortium will support clustering activities with other projects aimed at sharing knowledge, experience, and raising public awareness of climate resilience.