Innovators in the built environment connect during InCUBE session at the New Energy Forum

Targeted introduction

Instead of traditional networking, InCUBE opted for guided matchmaking. Five tables, five organizations, and thirty minutes per round formed the starting point. Through a short exercise, participants were matched with the table that best aligned with their expertise and interests. This immediately led to substantive conversations between parties who could truly benefit each other. 

The tables were led by Van Wijnen, De Verbinding, the Municipality of Groningen, Bureau voor Verduurzaming, and Bind. Each organization started with a short pitch about its challenges and a concrete question for the participants.

Short pitches, serious conversations

Every tablementor opened with a short pitch: what problem they solve, who their ideal partner is, and one concrete request. Each table facilitator opened with a short pitch: what problem they solve, who their ideal partner is, and one concrete request. Although the topics varied, all conversations had one goal: to collaborate on a future-proof built environment.  This session was about action, not inspiration. 

Van Wijnen explained how sustainability can be structurally embedded in construction. Nnot as an effort per project, but as the norm. Based on renovation projects such as the Oranjewijk (186 apartments) and the Van Heemskerck flat The presentation addressed the real tensions surrounding costs and client expectations that stand in the way of this. 

De Verbinding advocated for inclusive employment as a form of innovation in the construction sector, shared how she integrates deaf employees into its business operations and how Socials Return on Investment (SROI) can be a meaningful steering instrument for clients

Gmunicipality of Groningen has her handbook for biobased and circular construction presented, which has been developed within the framework of The New Normal. The municipality strives to a joint approach before and after,  her Real Estate, Infrastructure and Housing departments and sought input from market parties, contractors, and housing corporations on how this policy can be made workable in practice.

Bureau voor Verduurzamen outlined the scale of the challenge ahead: guiding tens of thousands of homeowners in East Groningen, the Eemsdelta, and Het Hogeland to become gas-free as part of de Isolation approach Nij Begun ('new beginning') (mmeasure 29). The discussion revolved around the question of how this large-scale approach to the housing market can be made practical, reliable, and feasible. 

Bind explained how they advise building owners on translating sustainability ambitions into concrete renovation measures: analyzing buildings and installations, assessing measures such as insulation, heat pumps, and solar panels in combination, and guiding owners through decision-making, obtaining permits, and implementation.

Why InCUBE at New Energy Forum

The New Energy Forum brought together exactly the kind of diverse, decision-making audience that makes connecting parties meaningful: energy professionals, construction companies, municipal stakeholders, and investors sharing a single space and facing a common challenge. For InCUBE, one of our EU-funded projects that focuses on accelerating technical and social innovation in the housing sector, this was a logical match. 

InCUBE's role during the session was to create the conditions for the kind of contacts that do not come about by chance: between a contractor seeking new market partners, a municipality wanting to implement sustainable renovation on a larger scale, and a consultancy firm that can bridge the gap between the two.