The New European Bauhaus Festival (NEB Festival), held from 9 June to 13 June 2026 in Brussels, brought together numerous European stakeholders from the fields of research, education, design, and innovation who are co-creating solutions for a sustainable and inclusive future of the built environment. The event represented an important platform for presenting initiatives that contribute to the goals of the European Green Deal.

Among the participants were also representatives from  the University of Primorska – dr. Andreja Kutnar, dr. Lea Primožič and Špela Vrtovec – who presented university activities within the New European Bauhaus initiative. At the festival fair, the university showcased several projects addressing sustainable and innovative solutions for the built environment, including the New European Bauhaus Academy Alliance (NEBA Alliance), WoodStock, LIFE BE-WoodEN, BIOARCH, and other projects that reflect its commitment to advancing sustainability through research, education, and international cooperation.

The festival started with the opening ceremony attended by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. Durin her visit to the NEB Festival fair, she visited selected stands, including the NEB Academy Alliance project booth, where she meet with Dr. Andreja Kutnar, coordinator of the project. The President of the European Commission, together with António Costa, the President of the Council of the European Union, were the first visitors to the NEB Academy Alliance booth, marking a great start of the festival.

Another important part of the programme was also the presentation by Dr. Andreja Kutnar, who participated as a speaker in the discussion “NEB Academy: How the NEB learns, tests, and scales”. The discussion addressed the role of the New European Bauhaus Academy in connecting research, education, and innovation, as well as in developing approaches that enable the transfer of knowledge into practical solutions.

As part of the festival, the New European Bauhaus Academy Alliance (NEBA Alliance), in cooperation with the University of Primorska and InnovaWood, also organised the workshop “NEB Academy: How the NEB learns, tests, and scales”, where the NEBA Alliance was presented. The workshop was dedicated to introducing the alliance, which establishes a European network of educational hubs to support the New European Bauhaus. Participants were introduced to various examples of cooperation, the development of educational approaches, and the exchange of knowledge among partners from different European environments.

Image: Eva Ceh

The WoodStock project booth had the honor of welcoming Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation. During her visit, she also admired the WoodStock rulers, made from wood reclaimed from the historic Servite Monastery, which is currently undergoing renovation by the University of Primorska.

Finally, Dr. Andreja Kutnar was among the invited speakers of the High-Level Stakeholder Dialogue “From Strategy to Action: Accelerating Europe’s Bioeconomy Revolution”, which was attended also by Jessika Roswall, the European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy. The event provided an important opportunity for the University of Primorska’s expertise to be represented in the discussion shaping the future development of Europe’s bioeconomy.

Image: European commission

The NEB Festival provided a full program and space for bringing together various initiatives and stakeholders whose activities contribute to the development of sustainable, innovative, and inclusive solutions for the future of Europe.