Funded under the Erasmus+ programme of the EU, the Centre of Vocational Excellence BuildSkills Academy unites 17 partners from 10 European countries to establish a pan-European framework for enhancing and certifying transitional skills and competencies essential to the twin transition in the construction sector. The initiative includes the development of a methodology and a digital platform for self-assessment and enrichment of VET courses; development and piloting of 12 courses for different occupations in construction enriched with green and digital skills; development and practical application of certification schemes for curricula, training materials and individuals. The project aims to transform the sector through upskilling and reskilling of the workforce and provision of market-relevant skills for occupations of high demand.
DRIVE aims to accelerate the growth of Europe’s bio-based economy by empowering local startups and fostering innovative ecosystems aligned with the green, circular, and digital transition. Through a combination of needs assessment, roadshows, hackathons, and mentoring activities, the project supports SMEs in developing high-value products, technologies, and business models. DRIVE focuses on strengthening collaboration among regional accelerators and incubators, enhancing startup participation, and promoting best practices. Its main outcomes include creating tailored business models, preparing startups for investment opportunities, connecting them with funding instruments, and enabling continued growth through acceleration programs.
OpenDBL aims to integrate multidisciplinary know-how to address the current challenges in the Digital Building Logbook (DBL) field, by developing an openAPI that enables the use of openDBL in a unique, standardized platform and creates useful content to simplify the workload of the AECO industry. The project pursues three objectives: to ensure attractive economics, by offering strong value propositions and convenient pricing; to promote interoperability, by facilitating the seamless exchange of data across systems; and to foster innovation, by supporting the development of new services and applications around the openDBL ecosystem.
SYMBIO aims to develop circular, bio-based business models by integrating industrial symbiosis and sustainable design practices from the earliest stages of production. The project brings together eight partners from six EU countries and applies its methodology across 12 pilot regions selected for their bioresource potential and industrial networks. SYMBIO leverages big data and artificial intelligence to support companies in identifying circular value opportunities, managing supply chain risks, and adopting environmentally and economically resilient practices. The project’s digital platform connects industrial operators, promotes the use of secondary resources, and supports decision-making on bio-based products, contributing to a more sustainable and competitive circular bioeconomy across Europe.
EDU4Standards is a Horizon Europe CSA aimed at increasing education in standardisation across Europe by developing and piloting an innovative teaching concept (ITCoS), expanding courses, and fostering a community of educators and students. The project will also build a Students Association around Standardisation, organise Academic Standards Days across university partners in cooperation with National Standards Bodies and develop a CEN Workshop Agreement about the project results (to potentially be scaled internationally).
HSbooster.eu, a CCSA funded by the EC under the HE framework, aims at boosting the entire European Standardisation dialogue between Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe projects with corresponding Standards Developing Organisations (SDOs) to increase the European impact on (international) standardisation and strengthen the European competitiveness
The MOBICCON-PRO project develops, introduces and demonstrates integrated innovative circular solutions to recover resources from construction and demolition waste (CDW) and decrease consumption of raw construction materials by applying in-situ selective separation/demolition, novel CDW recycling and production of recycled and innovative construction materials, components and products.
The project validates innovative technical, business, consumption and social models for CDW management to enhance the viability of the circular economy concept by:
Their viability and sustainability is tested to adjust and validate the business model prior to its replication. An experimental municipal level testing of the circular solution is ensured to prove the sustainability of the concept at local level.
MOBICCON-PRO also strengthens the cooperation and public participation between private, public and scientific key stakeholders through the establishment of Territorial circular centre and compensations schemes.
To help transform the raw materials and construction economies, an Association for CDW management shall be established, streamlining the processes and ensuring project sustainability, while catalyzing the large-scale deployment and replication of successful technical and policy measures to improve the policy and management of CDW throughout the whole value-chain.
RISERS (A Roadmap for Industrial Symbiosis Standardisation for Efficient Resource Sharing) is committed to guiding the standardisation of industrial symbiosis to enhance resource efficiency across Europe. This initiative, launched under the European Union’s Horizon Europe Programme, offers a solution to fill standardisation gaps and address the significant barriers hindering the establishment of standards for efficient resource sharing. By collaborating with experts and practitioners from various sectors including industry, policy, academia, and standardisation bodies, conducting thorough mapping of the IS standardisation landscape and identification of opportunities for intra- and inter-sectoral synergies, RISERS will provide a comprehensive Roadmap that will steer IS standardisation efforts in Europe toward greater efficiency and sustainability.
The STAND4EU project was a Horizon Europe initiative designed to strengthen the role of standardisation in European research and innovation. Running from September 2022 to October 2024, it bridged the gap between cutting-edge R&I outcomes and their practical implementation through standards. By focusing on key areas such as additive manufacturing, welding, smart manufacturing, and the circular economy, STAND4EU identified barriers to standardisation and proposed actionable solutions. The project fosters collaboration among industry, academia, and SMEs, and develops a sustainable interface to support long-term integration of standards into innovation ecosystems. Through this, STAND4EU contributes to Europe’s green and digital transitions and enhances the global competitiveness of European technologies.
The STAR project – Sustainability Transformation: Research and Innovation Network for Quality Information, Better Sustainability Reporting Practices, and Business Resilience (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-SE-01 – GA: 101179323) aims to establish a transnational, cross-sectoral, and interdisciplinary research network focused on understanding how cultural and contextual factors influence sustainability reporting practices, specifically corporate disclosure of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) risks and opportunities. The research objectives are: O1: Investigate cultural barriers and identify enablers that promote high-quality non-financial disclosures of ESG-related issues. O2: Systematically collect and analyze data to gain deeper insights into the complex relationship between cultural, regional, and industrial factors in sustainability reporting. O3: Develop cutting-edge interdisciplinary models with culturally sensitive data and promote effective disclosure strategies to improve sustainability reporting practices. Sustainability reporting is an essential aspect of corporate responsibility and accountability in today’s business environment. It involves the disclosure of an organization’s ESG performance to various stakeholders, including investors, customers, employees, and the public. A comprehensive approach is required—one that integrates Environmental, Social, and Governance issues—while ensuring interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration. This approach aims to foster a more nuanced, inclusive analysis and drive joint actions and research that reflect the dynamic, cross-cultural complexity of businesses’ responses to sustainability challenges.