NWO KIC UPSCALE

The construction sector consumes 50% of raw materials and generates 35% of all waste, making it a major societal challenge. With strong commitments at national and European levels to reduce climate impact and promote a circular economy, the industry is under pressure to change. Initiatives like Buildings as Material Banks (BAMB), Material Passports, and circularity hubs are steps in the right direction, but more systemic changes are needed. The Dutch UPSCALE project aims to drive this shift by transforming traditional supply chains into dynamic, waste-reducing networks. By linking state-of-the-art decentralised, networked web technologies with decomposed asset data in Building Information Models and Digital Twins, the project focuses on tracking and tracing construction and demolition waste (CDW). The project also includes behavioral research to encourage the adoption of new technologies and practices, alongside management and business model research to develop scalable processes and decision-making models for integrating CDW into sustainable supply networks. The project participants actively engage in co-design and co-creation with industry stakeholders to ensure the practical and effective integration of these innovations into the construction sector. The UPSCALE project is coordinated by Eindhoven University of Technology and includes partners from Delft University of Technology, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Utrecht University, ABN AMRO, BIM-Connected, ADEX Group, Volker Wessels, Witteveen+Bos, Huisrijk, Madaster, Martens Ceramics, InnoTractor, Municipality of Rotterdam and SPARK Campus.