On February 12, GreenWin and ECTP organised a full-day event bringing together representatives from the European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs), the Built4People Innovation Clusters (B4PICs) Network, EU institutions and innovation stakeholders from across Europe. The event provided a unique opportunity to exchange insights, explore collaboration mechanisms and co-create future joint actions to accelerate digital and sustainable transformation in the construction ecosystem.
The day began with welcome coffee and informal networking, setting the tone for open dialogue and cross-network exchange.
Morning Session: Networks, Services and Practical Impact
The day opened with a welcome note from Gilles Colson, COO of GreenWin, and Anastasiya Yurchyshyna, Secretary General of ECTP, setting the scene for closer cooperation between digital innovation actors and the construction ecosystem.
Participants then received an overview of the European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs), presented by Gaspard Demur, Deputy Head of Unit ‘AI Innovation and Policy Coordination’ at the EU AI Office, including its service offer and the growing role of Artificial Intelligence as a strategic driver for competitiveness, resilience and innovation across sectors.
This was followed by a presentation of the Built4People Innovation Clusters (B4PICs) Network, delivered by Anastasiya Yurchyshyna (ECTP), outlining its role within the Built4People partnership and its contribution to fostering innovation, collaboration and impact in the built environment.
After a coffee break, the programme continued with the Thematic Working Group on Construction, presented by Stéphanie Roosa from EDIH Connect and Luigi Perissich from DIH Cube. The session highlighted the main activities of the current 8 Construction EDIHs, their focus areas and key achievements in supporting digital transformation in construction.
Concrete implementation was at the centre of the following sessions:
- Practical examples of EDIH services provision for companies, demonstrating hands-on support for SMEs and industry – presented by 6 different EDIHs: DIHCUBE (Italy), DIGITAL Built (Portugal), EDICS (Bulgaria), TKEDIH (Poland), EDIH-EBE (Belgium) and EDIH Connect (Belgium).
- Practical examples of B4PIC activities, showcasing cluster-driven collaboration and innovation initiatives – delivered by SYXIS (Lithuania) and Construction City Cluster (Norway), the 2 B4PICs that signed the Charter later that afternoon and officially became Emerging B4PICs.
The morning concluded with a networking lunch and a visit to the Buildwise Demo Centre, where participants explored live demonstrations and continued informal exchanges.
Afternoon Session: Co-Creating Future Actions
The afternoon shifted from information sharing to active collaboration.
A first session set the collaboration framework, introducing the participatory methodology used during the round tables and outlining the objectives for each working group. Short thematic pitches prepared participants for the collaborative discussions ahead.
The participatory round tables then focused on co-creating concrete future actions, fostering alignment between networks and identifying joint initiatives with tangible impact:
- Positioning and collaboration around four upcoming EU calls, including two Built4People calls.
- A potential joint presence at Smart City Expo World Congress (November 2026, Barcelona).
- The DIHCUBE LaunchPad event: a matchmaking initiative designed to boost the exposure and growth of innovative solutions from selected EDIHs in the construction sector (one-day event, +80 start-ups expected, foreseen for 2026, location tbc – likely Brussels).
- Project INTEGRATES – strengthening the pathway from project results to ecosystem uptake.
- Strengthening synergies between digital collaboration platforms and the Digital Product Passport (DPP) to enhance interoperability, data exchange and ecosystem-wide uptake.
The day continued with insights into upcoming EU work programmes, helping participants position themselves strategically for future funding and cooperation opportunities.
A key highlight of the event was the signing ceremony of the Built4People Charter, by SYXIS and Construction City Cluster, marking an important step in strengthening the network and formalising their commitment to shared objectives as Emerging B4PICs.
The event concluded with a networking break, allowing participants to consolidate discussions and explore next steps in a collaborative and forward-looking spirit.
Overall, the meeting clearly demonstrated the shared ambition of Europe’s digital and construction communities: moving from exchange to structured cooperation, and from ideas to implementation.
