© Gorodenkoff
Publication date:
Today, the pan-European NEBA Alliance consortium is announced as the winner of the call for proposals to launch the New European Bauhaus Academy. The NEB Academy, a training network first announced by President von der Leyen in Finland in November 2022, will aim to give a decisive push for new skills and education across all levels of the construction sector. It will focus on the NEB values of sustainability, aesthetics and inclusiveness, and support the implementation of the European Green Deal in the circular bioeconomy. It is financed by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU).
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: 'I welcome the New European Bauhaus Academy Alliance, a powerhouse of 14 European partners, ready to launch its EU-wide training network. It will be a solid support for Europe's construction industry, addressing labour shortages and promoting knowledge sharing including on sustainable bio-based solutions, like the circular use of wood and other innovative materials.'
Over the next two years, the NEBA Alliance will develop an international alliance of educational actors and training providers, which will connect five local and regional hubs across Europe. These hubs will offer tailored and high-quality co-created training services, curricula, and programmes on sustainable construction solutions via a digital platform. To ensure consolidation, growth and greater coverage both across and beyond Europe, the Alliance will call for new regional NEBA and satellite hubs to join in and contribute with training content.
[The New European Bauhaus Academy Alliance] will be a solid support for Europe's construction industry, addressing labour shortages and promoting knowledge sharing including on sustainable bio-based solutions, like the circular use of wood and other innovative materials.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
The NEBA Alliance, led by the Slovenian University of Primorska, is composed of 14 partners from Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands. Its expertise covers a large part of Europe, which will facilitate both regional and national construction sectors. It includes academic entities, research centres, public bodies, and European networks.
The New European Bauhaus is about bringing the European Green Deal to our living spaces. To make it a success, we need to equip our construction sector with the skills and knowledge it needs to tap into the potential of sustainable solutions. This is where the NEB Academy will make a difference.
Iliana Ivanova, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth
Next steps
The successful applicant and the CBE JU Programme Office will now start preparing the grant agreement signature.
Background
A large part of European greenhouse gas emissions stems from the construction sector. To achieve the EU's ambitious climate goals, the European Green Deal calls on the sector to reduce these emissions by 60% by 2030. Europe must thus tap into the vast potential of using innovative bio-based solutions in construction. Lack of skills and knowledge about these innovative solutions in the construction ecosystem is however one of the major obstacles to this green transition.
As a flagship of the European Year of Skills, the New European Bauhaus Academy will accelerate upskilling and reskilling in the construction ecosystem. The NEB Academy addresses the need to upskill and reskill workers in the construction sector, with a special focus on increasing the quality and quantity of vocational training opportunities, notably programmes on bio-based solutions for the construction sector. Through a network of hubs with existing education and training providers, the Academy will deliver coherent and accessible online and on-site training in Europe and promote the inter-regional exchange of skills and best practice.