MetaBuilding Labs

Title

METAclustered, SME oriented European Open Innovation Test Bed for the BUILDING envelope materials industrial sector using a harmonised and upgraded technical framework and living LABS.

Start Date

January 2021

End Date

December 2025

Funding Body

H2020-NMBP-TO-IND-2020 (Grant ID: 953193)

Coordinator

NOBATEK INEF 4

Research Partners

39 Participants across EU

Research Areas

Energy, Climate

Project Partners

MetaBuilding

Principle Investigates

Jamie Goggins, NUI Galway

Website

MetaBuilding – Home

Cordis: EU Commission

Introduction

To reach the COP21 goal of nearly-zero energy, zero emission buildings MBLabs Labs strives to unleash the innovation potential of the SMEs of the Construction sector by lowering the entry barriers to test innovative solutions in a network of testing facilities in RTOs and Living Labs in 13 countries, most EU member states (ES, FR, BE, IT, DE, TR, UK, LU, PL, SE, HU, AT, IE) allowing a direct feedback from the end-users during the final development stages.

The MBLabs concept consists of 5 innovation pillars:
1) SME outreach by metaclustering & Open Innovation Digital Platform as cornerstones to engage and support SMEs in innovation and testing based on the networks of MBLabs’ 40 consortium partners, targeting over 180 clusters and building upon the sister H2020 METABUILDING project which reaches out to 9000 SME cluster members.

2) OITB Brokerage Business Model: the SEP will be a light brokerage structure in the form of an association – with the consortium partners as members – that serves as a business provider to entities running testing facilities and/or providing innovation services for building envelopes and finances itself through membership fees, adapted to the size and financial capacities of its members, market place revenues and a commission for the brokerage service.

3) Harmonised testing framework for building products development: consisting of guidelines for the characterization of smart/active systems, a detailed and validated energy model and LCAs to assure the application of EU regulatory practices.

4) O3 Building Envelope Testbench (standardized, replicable, affordable, Digital Twin enabled): first fully replicable, standardised, cost-effective Open Source/Open Data/Open Access Building Envelope Testbed enabling virtual testing and made available (co-funded) to some of the project partners.

5) Streamlined access to Living Labs & pilot matchmaking: with a single-entry point, an innovative matchmaking module and standardised internal procedures

Aim

To set up the first European open innovation network with a unified service offer for the development of building envelope technologies, particularly accessible to SMEs. The project includes the design and deployment of a network of test beds for innovative envelopes.

Work Packages

SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES
SEE1. To unlock potential, enhance critical mass and internationalisation, improve market readiness, product competitiveness and market impacts of European construction SMEs.
SEE2. To fully implement the integration of end-users/society and the natural environment in a new mainstream EU innovation pathway and related performance tests/certifications.
SEE3. To contribute to the EU response to the emerging post-COVID19 crisis by giving elements and tools that reinforce the construction sector value-chain as 1st industrial employer in Europe and boost economic activity.

SECTORAL, REPLICATION AND EXPLOITATION OBJECTIVES
SRE1. To help building up a future-proof, upgradable, competitive, sustainable and inclusive European Innovation Ecosystem and OITB for the Built Environment industrial sector, managed by a new, sustainable METABUILDING association, closely linked to the ECTP.
SRE2. To stimulate investments in building-envelope innovations and new technologies by providing testbed evidence for companies and investors while complying with EU technical regulatory practices adapted to local specifications.
SRE3. To enhance the contribution of the Construction Sector to the Sustainable Development goals by upskilling the construction landscape, reducing barriers and launching an ecosystem that increases competitiveness and gives access to better business opportunities.

CLUSTERED SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL OBJECTIVES 
CST1. To fully implement a meta-clustering approach in the 13 countries represented in the MBLabs project as the pro-active solution of how to bring SMEs into the OITB ecosystem while
directly connecting to and leverage the cascade funding mechanism established in METABUILDING INNOSUP project as a lever to jump-start MBLabs OITB with dedicated cross-sectoral Call for Projects based on Challenges on Building envelopes.
CST2. To harmonize and upgrade lab test framework and facilities in a holistic set of adapted services for a better readability of envelope materials technical characterization adapted to the new smart generation of technologies.
CST3. To develop a standardized, high quality, fast, affordable, replicable, Open Source, Open Access, Open Data 1:1 scale, real conditions testbed.
CST4. To develop, test and scale up marketable, cheap, flexible, on-demand, innovative material-based solutions for energy- and resource-efficient buildings.

Deliverables

MetaBuilding LABS has a project budget of approx. €15M, of which €739,375 goes to MaREI@NUI Galway (led by Prof Jamie Goggins).
It will include the creation of new test facilities in NUI Galway. MBLabs strives to unleash the innovation potential of the SMEs in the construction sector by lowering the entry barriers to test innovative solutions in a network of testing facilities in RTOs and Living Labs in 13 countries, including the Alice Perry Engineering building. It’s also great that had the opportunity to bring Civil Eng, Mech Eng, MaREI Centre, I-Form Centre (with Noel Harrison, NUI Galway) and Ryan Institute at NUI Galway all into one project.

Contact

Jamie Goggins, NUI Galway 
Email: ei.yawlagiun@sniggog.eimaj

Photo Gallery