RECONMATIC 3rd Annual Meeting: Advancing Innovation, Collaboration, and Training

The RECONMATIC project’s Annual General Assembly, marking its third year, took place on September 15–16, 2025, at Tecnalia Research and Innovation in Bilbao, Spain. The meeting brought together project partners from across Europe and China to review progress, showcase the latest technological developments, and plan the final year of activities. 

The meeting was hosted by Inés Díez Ortiz (Tecnalia) and Jan Valentin (Technical University of Prague (CTU), who opened the discussions with an overview of achievements and future milestones.

Progress Towards Smarter, More Circular Construction 

A key highlight of the meeting was the presentation of the digital sustainability and circularity assessment tool, led by Teresa Ros Dosdá from Instituto de Tecnología Cerámica (ITC) and Jan Valentin (CTU). The tool, now fully functional and ready for validation, will help assess and enhance the environmental performance of construction projects, a major step toward embedding circularity principles into the built environment.

Updates also covered cooperation progress with RECONMATIC’s Chinese partners, following recent visits and joint activities that continue to strengthen collaboration between Europe and China in sustainable construction innovation.

From Digital Solutions to Real-World Demonstrations 

Partners presented updates from demonstration sites across Europe, where RECONMATIC solutions are being applied to real projects. Together, these initiatives show how RECONMATIC’s technologies, from robotics to digital tools, are transforming Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) management into a more sustainable, automated, and data-driven process.

An Exploitation Workshop, led by Ioannis Koutsos (Future Needs), invited participants to identify clear pathways for bringing RECONMATIC’s research innovations to the market — ensuring the project’s legacy continues beyond its duration.

The Circular Construction Cluster: A Growing Community 

During the Bilbao meeting, partners also aligned on the next steps for the Circular Construction Cluster (CCC), a network founded by RECONMATIC and led by Future Needs. 

The cluster continues to grow as a collaborative space where EU projects, organisations, and experts come together to accelerate the transition to circular construction. Upcoming priorities include: 

1. Building a shared glossary to harmonise language and strengthen cooperation across projects. 

2. Combining educational efforts from multiple EU initiatives to make training materials more accessible to professionals and students. 

3. Expanding outreach to the Spanish-speaking community, leveraging the cluster’s multilingual members to bridge communication gaps and extend its impact. 

Training for the Next Generation of Sustainable Builders 

Education and knowledge transfer remain at the heart of RECONMATIC. The project partners JAIP presented progress on the RECONMATIC online training material, offering interactive lectures in English and Chinese. The courses feature AI-driven avatars, known as the RECONFamily, guiding learners through key aspects of sustainability, circular economy, and digital innovation in construction. 

A train-the-trainer workshop that is scheduled on the 1^st of December 2025, will empower local “Champions” in each partner country to deliver these trainings nationally, ensuring wide participation across Europe and China. The program is designed for professionals, students, and policymakers seeking practical knowledge on circular construction practices. 

Looking Ahead 

As RECONMATIC enters its final year, partners are preparing to: 

• Validate and officially launch the sustainability and circularity tool. 

• Deliver online and national training sessions with certification. 

• Host the project’s final conference to share results and lessons learned. 

• Maintain an active online presence to ensure the project’s outcomes remain accessible to the public. 

The meeting concluded with a visit to Tecnalia’s laboratories, where participants experienced first-hand some of the cutting-edge technologies.