PROJECTS

#CONSTRUIR O FUTURO

SCOPE

The "R2UTechnologies | modular system" Innovation Pact consists of the development and industrialisation of a new disruptive modular construction concept. This concept will be developed to fulfil the growing needs of the market and the new challenges facing the sector, particularly in terms of sustainability and environmental protection. As a result, the Pact will empower the business community, academia and HR itself with the means, knowledge and key skills to create a cluster on national soil for the global supply of the modular construction sector, with the prospect of launching 18 PPS with a tradable and internationalise profile by the end of the project.

MAIN OBJECTIVES

To change the production profile of the modular construction sector, promoting its evolution from a labour-intensive production paradigm to a knowledge-intensive one. The project is particularly strategic since it aims to train and qualify the business fabric to create a complete value chain in Portugal, with an international profile, capable of supplying the entire modular construction sector worldwide.

The “R2UTechnologies – Modular system” Innovation Pact aims to bring together a multidisciplinary and highly qualified consortium comprised of companies and entities of the technological and scientific system of relevant background know-how and expertise on the diverse fields surrounding the construction sector. Itecons will apply their expertise and technical means to support the development of the proposed solutions, products and materials, as well as perform their experimental validation and certification preparation for entry on the international markets with ETA and CE marking.

ACTIVITIES AND EXPECTED RESULTS

R2U Technologies is structured in 7 Work Packages, each focused on a different segment of the construction sector's value chain, from the design phase to the operation and maintenance of the building during its life cycle. The WPs are intended to respond to the present and future needs of the sector, to create a synergistic network between partners and relevant players, and to minimise dependence on external markets.

WP1 "Principles of Modular Construction" aims to explore different technical engineering and design concepts associated with modular construction for the development of sustainable, efficient, intelligent and high-performance modular construction systems, based on a customisable and scalable matrix, according to the requirements and challenges of different functional programmes. The knowledge generated in this WP will be crucial for guiding the designs and developments to be carried out in the other WPs and for validating their results.

WP2 "Materials" aims to promote in-depth, multidisciplinary research into the development of new materials for modular construction, enabling the creation of high-performance solutions that respect the constraints and requirements of this industry. Based on these results, which are expected to be innovative and of a high level of technological maturity, the respective industrialisation processes will be carried out for their manufacture and internationalisation processes to promote their introduction onto the world market.

WP3 "Products" focuses on the exploration and development of finished products relating to the different components or specialised areas of the construction process, namely frame systems, variable geometry panels, modular façade systems, sanitary solutions, air conditioning systems, walls and ceilings, prefabricated concrete structures and energy production systems. Based on these results, their respective industrialisation processes will be carried out for their manufacture and internationalisation processes to promote their introduction onto the world market.

WP4 "Industrial Equipment" aims to operationalise the manufacturing and assembly process of final modular construction solutions by creating new specialised and integrated industrial units equipped with advanced technology and autonomous systems, in line with the Industry 4.0 paradigm.

WP5 "Digital, Collaborative Services and IoT Systems" aims to create a digital collaborative work environment capable of gathering and sharing critical information between different players and between different stages of the production process, facilitating greater vertical alignment in the value chain and the development of construction solutions that are more in line with market needs. The aim is also to create and verticalise IoT systems and their digital services to create modular buildings with customisable monitoring and intelligent control capabilities.

WP6 "Capacity Building" comprises a diverse set of actions aimed at promoting the capacity building and training of human resources involved in the disciplinary issues surrounding modular construction, aimed at the entire national construction industry, creating the conditions for a change in the industry's specialisation profile. In addition, the aim is to develop a multidisciplinary curriculum for different qualification levels. It is also intended to promote the creation of a new Competence Centre, dedicated to the advanced training of new skills in critical areas.

WP7 "Coordination and Dissemination" aims to ensure the communication, promotion, dissemination and demonstration of the results of the R2U Technologies project. It is also aimed at overall technical, administrative and financial management.

In this way, the R2U Technologies Pact will deliver 18 technologically innovative, high value-added PPS with a strong commercialisation and internationalisation profile, namely:

• PPS1 – High-performance bathroom solutions for modular construction
• PPS2 – Innovative wall coverings for use in modular construction
• PPS3 – High-performance prefabricated structural systems for modular construction
• PPS4 – High-performance ecological concretes and cements
• PPS5 – High-performance glass surfaces
• PPS6 – Modular façade systems
• PPS7 – Minimalist window frames
• PPS8 – Variable geometry panels
• PPS9 – Laser-welded façades
• PPS10 – Solutions for walls and ceilings
• PPS11 – High-performance HVAC units for modular construction
• PPS12 – Flexible BIPV modules for use in modular construction
• PPS13 – Technologically advanced and customisable modular construction units
• PPS14 – 2D hybrid modular elements
• PPS15 – Digital systems, applications and services for all phases of modular construction
• PPS16 – IoT systems and support solutions for innovative building and people monitoring systems for modular construction
• PPS17 – Digital Twin
• PPS18 – Multidisciplinary curriculum plan for specialisation in Modular Construction and related areas

Investment by the beneficiary Itecons | 2.076.322,51€