News 2025

FIEC attended a study visit in collaboration with the European Council for Construction Research, Development and Innovation (ECCREDI) to NEST, the modular research and innovation building of Empa and EAWAG in Zurich (Switzerland).
The learnings and insights will help shape the new ECCREDI Strategy to accelerate the market uptake of cutting-edge innovations and advancements in the built environment.

Research and innovation are crucial to boosting productivity in the construction industry. Although there have been remarkable breakthroughs (e.g. carbon-reduced materials, digitalisation, circularity), their adoption in the market remains a challenge. At the same time, the EU institutions have recently identified the rising costs of construction and housing affordability among the main priorities for the 2024-2029 mandate.

At NEST, new technologies, construction materials and systems are tested, researched, further developed and validated under real conditions. Close cooperation with partners from research, industry and the public sector ensures that innovative construction and energy technologies are put onto the market faster. NEST contributes to making the use of resources and energy more sustainable and circular.

The role of FIEC is to bridge the perspectives of contractors, researchers, and decision makers and deliver on one common mission: make construction more affordable and sustainable, and ensure the competitiveness of the industry.