In February 2024, a two-year research work is starting as part of the international project LIFE BE-WoodEN – Buildings and Education in Wood Ecosystem for the New European Bauhaus, carried out within the New European Bauhaus Academy Pioneer Hub for Sustainable Built Environments with Renewable Materials (NEBAP Hub). The NEBAP Hub is a university center established at the University of Primorska, in collaboration with InnoRenew CoE.

The project is led by dr. Andreja Kutnar representing UP IAM, the project consortium is led by the Università degli studi di Genova, and other project partners include Regione Liguria, ART-ER-Società consortile per azioni, Università degli Studi di Firenze, FederlegnoArredo, Comité Européen de Coordination de l’habitat Social, and Politechnika Wroclawska.

The project is financed under the LIFE2027 initiative of the European Commission and aims to promote the decarbonization of buildings, improve circularity in the building sector, and overcome barriers hindering the widespread use of wood and bio-based materials. LIFE BE-WoodEN also aligns with the guidelines and values of the interdisciplinary initiative New European Bauhaus.

With capacity-building tools (NEBinars, webinars, field visits, and a summer school) designed to expand knowledge of bio-based materials in construction among wood sector professionals, the project aims to bring together local stakeholders, civil society, residents, and academics through a participatory and transdisciplinary approach to reimagine living spaces.

LIFE BE-WoodEN places a special emphasis on social housing that meets the needs of the elderly and fragile people. The ambition is to prepare professionals who meet market needs, overcome the fragmentation of the local supply chain, and assess the environmental benefits of using wood and bio-based materials in construction.