R2UTechnologies

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, to execute the development and industrialization on Portuguese soil of the disruptive industrial concept of modular construction. This innovative concept will respond to the growing needs of the global market and the new challenges facing the sector today, particularly in the fields of design, sustainability, customization, intelligent building, and environmental protection. It will allow the creation of the new industrial and capital-intensive cluster, able to position the country as a global reference supplier of this new solution to the construction sector. Focused on the housing segment, university residences, hotel sector and health sector, this Innovation Pact aims to improve people’s lives with the most sophisticated and responsible modular construction proposals, promoting the transition of the Portuguese industrial paradigm from traditional construction to modular construction, with a shift from work intense and wasteful processes to knowledge intense and efficient ones, with the associated qualification of capacitation of industrial processes and products to become a worldwide supplier in all the value chain of this new construction paradigm. In this sense, and to leverage the valorisation of the results in various sectors of activity, a coordinated strategy between 48 entities, 30 business entities and 18 partners from the research and innovation system.

INL, as one of the scientific partners of the project, is directly involved in the following Work Packages: 

• WP2 – Materials: This work package focuses on the exploration and development of the materiality side of modular construction, specifically on the construction materials. An integrated and multidisciplinary R&D of sustainable, efficient materials for modular building will be carried out in diverse material fields applicable to construction, all with the intention of developing new high-performance solutions for application in the modular construction of buildings. INL participates in Task 2.1.5 – Structural Steel, Task 2.1.8 – High performance glass and Task 2.1.11 – Dissemination of R&D results;
• WP3 – Products: This work package focuses on the exploration and development of the materiality side of modular construction regarding final products/systems and equipment’s, which can be mono-material or multi-material. An integrated and multidisciplinary R&D of innovative, efficient, and sustainable products for modular building will be carried out in diverse fields applicable to construction. For all these developments it is expected to be achieved a high TRL level that will allow their commercialization in the worldwide market. With this aim, technological capacity building for their production and internationalisation activities of the developed materials and products are envisioned. INL participates in Task 3.1.2 – Minimal window frame systems, Task 3.1.3 – Variable geometry panels, Task 3.1.6 – Ceramic bathroom solutions, Task 3.1.7 – Climatization / HVAC, Task 3.1.10 – Energy Generation and Task 3.1.14 – Dissemination of R&D results
• WP5 – Digital Services, Collaboration and IoT Systems: This work package is associated with the digitalization and introduction of intelligence services for the modular construction complete value chain, from the strategic definition phase of the modular buildings or solutions to the management of the built modular construction building, ensuring its efficiency and optimization in all segments of the modular construction value chain. INL participates in Task 5.1.3 – Smart Modular Building and Task 5.1.6 – Dissemination of R&D results.

In this scope, INL will collaborate directly with the following partner entities: DOMINGOS DA SILVA TEIXEIRA S.A.; BYSTEEL FS, S.A; DST SOLAR, S.A.; INNOVATION POINT – INVESTIGAÇÃO E DESENVOLVIMENTO S.A.; DTE, INSTALAÇÕES ESPECIAIS, S.A.; DISPLAX, S.A.; VIEIRA & LOPES LDA; METALURGICA CENTRAL DA TROFA LDA; ARCH, S.A.; LNEG – LABORATÓRIO NACIONAL DE ENERGIA E GEOLOGIA I.P.; CENTITVC – CENTRO DE NANOTECNOLOGIA E MATERIAIS TÉCNICOS, FUNCIONAIS E INTELIGENTES; UNIVERSIDADE NOVA DE LISBOA; ASSOCIAÇÃO LABORATÓRIO COLABORATIVO EM TRANSFORMAÇÃO DIGITAL – DTX.

Click here to see the Project Sheet