NEED FOR INNOVATION: The critical mass of Energy-efficient Buildings (EeB) in Europe by 2020 will be achieved through sustainable industrialisation of high-performance architectural, structural and building-service components. However, realising the targeted performance in design is hampered by critical shortcomings during on-site construction and refurbishment that cause a lower built-quality and sub-optimal energy-saving in the building lifecycle. OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT: INSITER aims to eliminate the gaps in quality and energy-performance between design and realisation of energy-efficient buildings based on prefabricated components. The key innovation of INSITER is the intuitive and cost-effective Augmented Reality that connects the virtual model and the physical building in real-time. INSITER will develop a new methodology for self-instruction and self-inspection by construction workers, subcontractors, component suppliers, and other stakeholders during on-site working processes, supported by a coherent set of hardware and software tools. HOW THE OBJECTIVE WILL BE ACHIEVED: INSITER will substantially enhance the functionalities and capabilities of measurement and diagnostic instruments (like portable 3D laser scanners, thermal imaging cameras, acoustic and vibration detectors, real-time sensors) by means of a smart Application Programming Interface (API) and data integration with a cloud-based Building Information Model (BIM). The triangulation of Geospatial Information, Global and Indoor Positioning Systems (GIS, GPS, IPS) will support accurate and comprehensive Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR and AR). RELEVANCE TO THE WORK PROGRAMME: Through new self-inspection techniques, INSITER will fully leverage the energy-efficiency potentials of buildings based on prefab components, from design to construction, refurbishment and maintenance. It will scale-up the use of BIM for standardised inspection and commissioning protocols, involving all actors in the value-chain.

DIAMETER aims to facilitate the implementation of a circular economy within the metal manufacturing sector through the development of hybrid manufacturing systems based on additive manufacturing. The Consortium will develop a set of digital tools to improve the design, optimise the manufacturing process and ease the implementation of circularity strategies (remanufacturing, refurbishing, repairing and recycling) by the additive manufacturing industry. To support those tools, we will develop a novel AI-assisted algorithm able to calculate both the ecological and economic impacts of a process to assess its sustainability. This AI-assisted algorithm will rely on experimental data, from process monitoring and part characterisations, and process simulation, covering pre-processing machining, additive manufacturing and post-processing machining. We will integrate these tools into a first platform, called DIAgonal, to facilitate the uptake by the industry. The platform will integrate the European Digital Product Passport by enabling the use of supplier data for more accurate ecological impact estimations and allowing the upload of experimental data to enrich product transparency on origin, materials, and recyclability. We will develop a second platform, DIAdemia, to support the upskilling of the workforce through interactive training courses, workshops, and exercises. Overall, DIAMETER will contribute to reducing the manufacturing sector's carbon footprint, enhancing recycling, developing a greener Industry 4.0 and promoting local production.

This FPA provides comprehensive programming and support for the European Commission’s Mission of 100 Climate-neutral and Smart Cities by 2030. It builds on the NetZeroCities (NZC) project, coordinated by CKIC. Combined, these two initiatives set out actions as follows: (a) Create and operate a Cities Mission Platform as a ‘one-stop-shop’ to access the expertise, capabilities, services, and solutions necessary to achieve climate neutrality. This Platform will provide tailored and intensive support to cities participating in the Mission and will ensure open access to the knowledge and resources of the Platform. (b) Help all Mission Cities with the co-creation and use of Climate City Contracts (CCC) to enable an ambitious pursuit of the goal of climate neutrality by 2030. This FPA expressly seeks to ensure all Mission Cities are supported and builds directly on the initial scope of NZC. In addition, support will be offered to additional cities seeking to follow closely the Mission. (c) Assist Mission cities in the development of tailor-made investment plans, project preparation and finance for the cities participating in the Mission; (d) Deliver substantial resources to Mission cities for ongoing research and innovation activities critical to achieving climate neutrality by 2030. This support will be in the form of ‘pilot’ funding to test and demonstrate actions needed to deliver climate neutral outcomes. This pilot activity will work together with the Platform and CCC processes in the cities, operationalizing emerging knowledge and insights about how cities can achieve the Mission objectives; and (e) Ensure ongoing monitoring and evaluation of cities in their progress toward climate neutrality and deploy peer-based learning to ensure full appropriability of the result from the Mission. The FPA periods extends through 2027 and provides for two planned Specific Grant Agreement (SGA) phases, where a precise plan, targets and metrics will be established.

Urban GreenUP aims at obtaining a tailored methodology (1) to support the co-development of Renaturing Urban Plans focused on climate change mitigation and adaptation and efficient water management, and (2) to assist in the implementation of NBS in an effective way. NBS classification and parametrization will be addressed and some resources to support decision making will be established as part of the project activities. A large scale and fully replicable demonstration action of NBS accompanied by innovative business models will provide evidences about the benefits of NBS contributing to the creation of new market opportunities for European companies, and fostering citizen insight and awareness about environmental problems. Three European cities will assume the demos as front-runners (Valladolid, Liverpool and Izmir), other set of two European cities will act as followers to strengthen the replication potential of the results (Ludwigsburg and Mantova) and finally three non-European cities (Medellín, Chengdu and Quy Nhon) will allow to identify the market opportunities for European companies out of Europe and fostering the European leadership in NBS implementation at global level. URBAN GreenUp also aims to: fostering the creation of a global market and EU international cooperation; deploy a wide Exploitation and Market deployment procedure for NBS solutions & deploy an Impact-based Communication and Dissemination strategy.