A comprehensive approach to strategic Research & Innovation development: The case of the European Construction and Built Environment sector

The built environment and construction industry has an essential role to play in the socio-economic transition towards a sustainable and climate-neutral economy and society. The way we design and build our buildings and infrastructures impacts the way we live, as individuals and communities. It also impacts the climate, resources, and biodiversity on the planet. On both dimensions, industry must undergo some deep transformation to deliver a more sustainable, resilient, inclusive built environment. The role of research and innovation is instrumental in such transition, and this is why a sectoral Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) has been developed recently in Europe in the context of the ECTP platform, to identify the future R&I orientations and address the challenges faced by the industry and the built environment. This paper reports on the methodology deployed to build and deliver this SRIA. A review of the environmental, technical, and societal challenges has been carried out, together with an analysis of the key technological trends, including as well a review of the political and regulatory context. The paper also develops and applies a data analytics methodology aimed at comparing the EU SRIA with knowledge contributions of the international CIB W78 research community, in the field of construction IT. The results highlight strong alignments and open avenues for reinforced international collaborations.