How can innovative building technologies move from research to real buildings? This question brought together researchers, companies, designers and policymakers at the MEZeroE Final Conference, held on 13 May during REbuild 2026 in Riva del Garda.
The event marked the conclusion of five years of collaboration within the Horizon 2020 MEZeroE project, highlighting the role of testing, validation and demonstration in accelerating innovation in the building envelope sector.
The conference opened with a keynote by Lucio Blandini (Institute for Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design, University of Stuttgart), who explored the contribution of smart façades to a more sustainable built environment.
Throughout the morning, speakers from across the MEZeroE consortium presented the project's main results and discussed how testing facilities, pilot lines and Living Labs help bridge the gap between research and market uptake. Participants explored practical examples of technologies tested in laboratories and demonstrated in real buildings, showing how performance evaluation can support better design decisions and reduce the risks associated with innovation.
The conference also presented the MEZeroE Platform, which connects technology developers with testing infrastructures, innovation services and potential partners across Europe, helping innovative solutions reach the market more quickly.
One of the key messages emerging from the event was that innovation in construction requires more than new technologies. It depends on collaboration between research organisations, industry and public authorities, as well as access to reliable testing infrastructures that can demonstrate the performance of new solutions under real conditions.
Although the MEZeroE project has formally come to an end, its legacy will continue through the Building Envelope Alliance the new European network that builds on the project's experience: www.buildingenvelopealliance.eu
By connecting research organisations, universities, testing infrastructures and innovation providers, the Alliance will continue supporting the development, validation and market uptake of innovative building envelope solutions across Europe.
The conference demonstrated that bringing ideas to the market is not a single step, but a process built on research, testing, collaboration and knowledge sharing: all these are essential elements for accelerating the transition towards healthier, more energy-efficient and sustainable buildings.
