The research institute InnoRenew CoE and University of Primorska organized the InnoRenew CoE International Conference 2022, “Rethinking buildings and materials for a sustainable future”, which took place 17-18 November 2022, in the new InnoRenew CoE building in Izola, the largest wooden building In Slovenia.

Dr. Michael Burnard, InnoRenew CoE deputy director, opened the conference and welcomed attendees saying, “I am glad you are here today to discuss different fields and interdisciplinary topics related to buildings so that we can learn to better serve occupants, reduce climate impacts, and drive innovation in the field.”

Image: InnoRenew CoE

The keynote address was given by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thomas Brudermann, a professor at the University of Graz with the doctoral degree in psychology. He spoke about rethinking the role of individual decision for a sustainable future: “We still don’t know enough about climate change, our knowledge is not accurate, and there are a lot of misconceptions. Often times we overestimate our skills and knowledge.”

Additionally he pointed out that “in order to reach a more sustainable society we need individual decision context in which it is easier to behave environmentally friendly.” Dr. Brudermann is sure that by generating more awareness and knowledge it is possible to  determine greater acceptance of sustainability measures.

Image: InnoRenew CoE

Participants could attend several presentations, during four thematic sessions about environmentally friendly and energy-efficient materials and practices to improve the built environment, state-of-the-art solutions for building design and assessment, built environments for well-being and how to bridge the gap between research and society.

Image: InnoRenew CoE

Image: InnoRenew CoE

Moreover, a special workshop in the framework of the European Year of Youth entitled “Wood material flows modelling: issues, challenges, and a better future for our youth” was organized.

“This workshop presents our experience on data collection and collation from various data sources and in-person interviews in the scope of the E-LVO (Economic, environmental and social aspects of wood processing and its use and carbon sequestration) project,” said Dr. Balázs Dávid and added: “In addition to presenting the encountered obstacles and devised solutions, the workshop is intended as a discussion on this topic, trying to find a sensible suggestion how the available data collection system could be improved.” The E-LVO project is financed by the Slovenian Research Agency and the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology.

Dr. Esakkiammal Sudha Esakkimuthu held a workshop in the framework of the MSCA project about renewable material composite preparation and she showcased the modified lignin nanoparticles for composite and bio-aased/Cu packaging applications products.

Image: InnoRenew CoE

Also this year the conference presented an opportunity to share and discuss emerging science and innovations in renewable materials that can be used in the built environment to enhance human and environmental well-being.