Building the Future - Expert Discussion

Expert Panel with Swedish Researchers from Mistra Carbon Exit

ReConstruct is an international research platform that focuses on the future of buildings and construction technologies. In cooperation with the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, ReConstruct hosted an expert discussion in Vienna on October 19 and 20, 2023. The workshop aimed to identify best practice examples as pioneers for innovations in construction. Partners of the Swedish research initiative Mistra Carbon Exit were invited to present their views and experiences.

Mistra is a Swedish foundation for strategic environmental research that finances the Carbon Exit research program. The Swedish partners showed results for greenhouse gas savings with a potential of up to 50% along the supply chains in buildings by using already available technologies. These results are particularly relevant to the future of construction. In addition to the insights from Sweden, Austrian researchers and representatives from the construction sector presented successful innovations for the building stock and new building concepts. These innovations range from building materials to urban developments with highly integrated and localized energy systems.

These emerging future-proof concepts for construction extend the scope from single buildings to ensembles of buildings, which are called quarters and areas, and aim to provide the services of livable cities. The entire value chain of buildings is considered for evaluating their impacts on emissions and resources over the life cycle of buildings, including the reuse of materials. Finally, energy hub concepts are checked for innovative localized energy systems that support highly efficient energy services by low-temperature thermal so-called anergy grids linked to geothermal energy and ample use of locally available renewable energies.