Scope of the conferenceAs the European Union launches the “Europe 2020” initiative – a strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth – showing how the EU can come out of the crisis and move to a more sustainable and dynamic growth path delivering high levels of employment, productivity and social cohesion, the Construction sector reaffirms its commitment to contribute to this move, by intensifying in particular R&D and innovation initiatives throughout its value chain.

Actually:The Construction sector promotes a resource-efficient, sustainable and competitive European growth:by creating an energy-efficient built environment integrating renewable energies, by providing the transport sector with modern infrastructures,by reducing the ecological footprint of products and services.

The Construction sector is a factor of economic, social and territorial cohesion:which gives access to proper and healthy housing,which improves the independent and inclusive life of the ageing and disabled European population,which preserves cultural heritage works.

The Construction sector plays a major role in European competitiveness:by improving the business environment,by developing a lead market in sustainable construction.

The Construction sector also creates new skills and jobs, fosters digital society, and is involved in smart growth initiatives through innovation.

Aims of the conference This 5th Conference of the European Construction Technology Platform, combined with a Conference of the Era-Net Eracobuild, will show how the Construction sector contributes to EU2020 ambitions and illustrate the ECTP objectives to develop Innovative Buildings and Infrastructures to construct Europe’s future, to innovate through research and integration of inputs from other sectors using appropriate tools (such as PPPs) in the next Common Strategic Programme, and to conduct two major European Initiatives:E2B: “Energy-Efficient Buildings” European Initiative,reFINE: “Infrastructure Networks of Europe” Initiative.

The participation of programme owners and managers from the Member States involved in the Era-Net Eracobuild will also illustrate the wish of building up a European Research Area in the sector.

Key words: Sustainable Construction, European Recovery Plan, Energy Efficient Buildings, Efficient Infrastructures, Cultural Heritage, Innovation, Business, SMEs…