The Italian SocKETs lab focuses on the technologies enabling the transition of the building and construction sector and the built environment towards a circular economy. They started their co-creation journey at the end of 2021, with two consecutive events held in October and December.

The hybrid organisation allowed the participation of a vast array of stakeholders involved in the building and construction sector.

Their first workshop was held online: participants were invited to reflect and comment on the preparatory work undertaken by AIRI on the identified needs of the circular economy landscape, which are the following:

  • Cooperation & knowledge sharing (both for stakeholder & citizen)
  • Showcase innovations
  • A clear focus for the engagement of citizens and other actors of the innovation ecosystem, in order to make benefits clear to all the stakeholders
  • Raise awareness, develop strategies, good practices, inform innovation

The second workshop, which took place physically within the Museo della Scienza e della Tecnologia in Milan, was dedicated to a reflection on the possible future scenarios for the sector, with a further aim to define a vision, objectives and outcomes for the participatory process.

 Two scenarios are foreseen by the stakeholders involved:

  • The first is about the technologies that will modify the value chains and the way different stakeholders interact along them, including a modification of the work within the building and construction sites and an increased collaboration with other stakeholders (including citizens) to gain data and inform digital systems. The final target is moving towards a full recycling of materials and digitalization and industrialization of the entire value chain, to make collaboration easier and the whole process more efficient.
  • The second scenario is about the technologies that will change the buildings and in the built environment, and in particular the way people can interact with them. This will enable more efficient, smart and sustainable cities, both from the environmental and social (allowing for a number of ways to collaborate and share) point of view.

The technologies and the scenarios will be discussed with other stakeholders during the second workshop, in order to validate them and to discuss about other opportunities, barriers, and possible impacts.

The workshops are also included in the framework of the New European Bauhaus (since Airi is a partner of this initiative), and this will allow to share the results with a wider community of people interested in making the built environment more sustainable and inclusive for all.

Want to be involved in SocKETs?

If you want to join this societal engagement movement in Italy, reach Daniela, our Italian SocKETs lab leader!