An Open Innovation Ecosystem for exploitation of materials for building envelopes towards zero energy buildings

Building sector is responsible for 40% of energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions in the EU. As nZEB becomes the new standard, the role of building materials and smart envelope systems is becoming more and more important. Exploit4InnoMat OITB will make available a high-end Open Innovation Testbed network for building envelopes including roofs and facades, enabling the replication of prototypes in different buildings taking into consideration the trade-offs between the three sustainability pillars, the life cycle stages as well as their impacts. End-User Market Needs for low-cost, flexible, on demand material-based solutions, which will be assessed through an extensive partnership knowledge on materials characterization and modelling, monitoring and process control, environmental and assessment, regulatory and standardization, social acceptance and innovation management, realizing for nZEB solutions. In order to achieve this target a wide range of expertise has been brought to the OITB covering fields such as Open Innovation Testbeds for nano enabled cement, non cement premixes and ceramics, advanced coatings and glazing solutions loaded with aerogel, fibers, PCMs and other nanomaterials providing multifunctional properties; pilot lines for nanodispersion, 3D printing and roboting spraying; as well as a network of four real scale living laboratories for nZEB technologies evaluation, will facilitate a realization tool for developing close to market technological solutions. Additionally, a semi-automated tool combining BIM analysis, fast track modelling and simulation will make enable a digital tool for utilizing building blocks (structural, solar thermal and BIPV) in order to create a harmonized and aesthetically pleasing urban environment.