The research department InnoRenew CoE, at University of Primorska’s institute UP IAM, has successfully secured funding under the LAP cooperation of the Weave initiative, for the research project about sustainable and optimised modular construction value chain. Over the next four years, researchers will be exploring optimization challenges in the modular construction, developing innovative methods to reduce logistics costs and minimize the environmental impact.

The project Sustainable and optimized modular construction value chain (SUMOC), focuses on developing sustainable and circular approaches to improve resource efficiency, innovation and environmental performance in the construction sector. It involves collaboration of InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM, with the Poznań University of Economics and Business from Poland and the Vienna University of Technology in Austria.

Dr. Jakub Sandak, InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM researcher, will lead the four-year project in close collaboration with Dr. Balazs David and Dr. Miklos Kresz. The project explores strategies to optimize modular construction value chains by reducing material waste, lowering environmental impact, and enhancing logistics and resource management. It will also investigate innovative business models, such as product-as-a-service, to promote a more sustainable and circular construction ecosystem.

As the construction sector faces growing challenges related to resource depletion, waste and carbon emissions, especially in the production and transport of building materials, the traditional supply chains are often inefficient. This leads to higher costs and environmental impact. The SUMOC project aims to tackle these challenges by developing innovative models for a circular construction value chain based on material reuse, sustainability and operational efficiency.

By focusing on modular construction, where building modules are prefabricated off-site and assembled on-site, SUMOC seeks to promote faster, more cost-effective and environmentally responsible building solutions. The project will combine empirical research and advanced mathematical modelling to optimize logistics, material flows and building design.

Through collaboration between researchers and industry, SUMOC aims to create a more resilient, resource-efficient and sustainable construction system aligned with the goals of the New European Bauhaus initiative.

In the project Narodowe Centrum Nauki (NCN) is acting as the lead financing agency and the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS) is providing co-funding for the Slovenian part of the project.

Weave is a European initiative uniting 12 national and regional research funders to support excellent cross-border projects. It simplifies international collaboration by allowing researchers from up to three countries to apply through a single, joint evaluation process.