Page 29 - European Energy Innovation - spring 2020 publication
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Spring 2020 European Energy Innovation 29
BIO BASED CONSTRUCTION
contributors within the European wood modification,” he adds. the largest timber frame building in
scientific community, gaining Izola, Slovenia.
guidance, advice and opportunities The institute is being funded in
for collaboration from established its early years by EU grants. It Cooperation started in the Action
experts in many fields related to bio- was founded as a cross-Europe continues to grow. In 2018, the
based materials.” says Dennis Jones, collaboration by the University of InnoRenew CoE joined partners from
Chair of the Action. Primorska, the Slovenian National the same network in the Pro-Enrich
Building and Civil Engineering project, which received funding from
For four participants, the Action also Institute, the Institute for the the EU and Bio-based Industries Joint
allowed them to realise a bigger Protection of Cultural Heritage of Undertaking. The joint undertaking is
dream – to set up a new research Slovenia and Germany’s Fraunhofer funded by the EU and industry.
institute in forest-rich Slovenia to Institute for Wood Research Wilhelm-
explore the technology for, and health Klauditz-Institut WKI. Dennis Jones, Chair of the Action
impacts of, renewable materials in says: “the key legacy of the Action
construction. In 2017, the InnoRenew Burnard says the successful grant has been the career development
Centre of Excellence (InnoRenew applications cited research carried of many of these Early Career
CoE) was born. out in the Action and the more Investigators into the new generation
industry-focused complementary of professional researchers, at a time
“This was in a large part thanks to the Action ModWoodLife. when bio-innovation and sustainable
Action, its conferences and training construction is needed to help
schools,” says one of the initiators, Blossoming growth protect our environment and combat
US-born researcher Michael Burnard, Since it was founded, InnoRenew global climatic changes." ●
who was a PhD student when he CoE has published studies, articles
joined the Action. and abstracts on a range of topics, View the Action:
from non-toxic wood preservation https://www.cost.eu/actions/FP1303
Strong support to the impact of office environments View the Network website:
“The Action allowed us to identify on health. It is also helping local http://costfp1303.iam.upr.si/en
other centres doing similar or communities develop their extensive
complementary research to shape plant-based resources, both locally
our research agenda and introduced and through the institute’s international
us to a lot of the people we wanted living lab innovation network.
to work with,” Burnard explains.
“It also played a strong role in Furthermore, as part of this success
supporting work that led to some of story, researchers from InnoRenew
our main areas of research, such as have initiated the construction of
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
