New European Bauhaus Academy to build skills for sustainable construction with innovative materials

Today, the pan-European NEBA Alliance consortium is announced the winner of the call for proposals to launch the New European Bauhaus Academy. The NEB Academy, a training network first announced by President von der Leyen in Finland in November 2022, will aim to give a decisive push for new skills and education across all levels of the construction sector. It will focus on the NEB values of sustainability, aesthetics and inclusiveness, and support the implementation of the European Green Deal in the circular bioeconomy. It is financed by the EU’s Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU).

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “I welcome the New European Bauhaus Academy Alliance, a powerhouse of 14 European partners, ready to launch its EU-wide training network. It will be a solid support for Europe’s construction industry, addressing labour shortages and promoting knowledge sharing including on sustainable bio-based solutions, like the circular use of wood and other innovative materials.”

Training network for sustainable construction

Over the next two years, the NEBA Alliance will develop an international alliance of educational actors and training providers, which will connect five local and regional hubs across Europe. These hubs will offer tailored and high-quality co-created training services, curricula, and programmes on sustainable construction solutions via a digital platform. To ensure consolidation, growth and greater coverage both across and beyond Europe, the Alliance will call for new regional NEBA and satellite hubs to join in and contribute with training content.

The NEBA Alliance, led by the Slovenian University of Primorska, is composed of 14 partners from Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands. Its expertise covers a large part of Europe, which will facilitate both regional and national construction sectors. It includes academic entities, research centres, public bodies, and European networks.

The NEB Academy is a flagship initiative of the European Year of Skills, which puts a spotlight on the importance of training and lifelong learning to develop the skills needed, including in the context of the green and digital transitions.

Next steps

The successful applicant and the CBE JU Programme Office will now start preparing the grant agreement signature.

Background

A large part of European greenhouse gas emissions stems from the construction sector. To achieve the EU’s ambitious climate goals, the European Green Deal calls on the sector to reduce these emissions by 60% by 2030. Europe must thus tap into the vast potential of using innovative bio-based solutions in construction. Lack of skills and knowledge about these innovative solutions in the construction ecosystem is however one of the major obstacles to this green transition.

As a flagship of the European Year of Skills, the New European Bauhaus Academy will accelerate upskilling and reskilling in the construction ecosystem. The NEB Academy addresses the need to upskill and reskill workers in the construction sector, with a special focus on increasing the quality and quantity of vocational training opportunities, notably programmes on bio-based solutions for the construction sector. Through a network of hubs with existing education and training providers, the Academy will deliver coherent and accessible online and on-site training in Europe and promote the inter-regional exchange of skills and best practice.

About Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking

The Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking is a €2 billion partnership between the European Union and the Bio-based Industries Consortium that funds projects advancing competitive circular bio-based industries in Europe. The CBE JU is operating under the rules of Horizon Europe, the EU’s research and innovation programme, for the 2021-2031 period. Independent evaluators selected from the Horizon Europe expert database supported the CBE JU Programme Office in the evaluation of this call.

 

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