Innovation in the Construction Industry

The funding program “Innovation in the Construction Industry” of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia is aimed at diverse actors in the construction sector who wish to develop and apply innovative, digital, and resource-efficient construction methods. The funding specifically supports research, development, and model projects to generate new technical and organizational knowledge. Focus areas include the use of 3D printing, construction robotics, Building Information Modeling, as well as open-source applications in urban planning—approaches designed to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of construction projects. The program awards grants, with eligible expenses including personnel costs, material costs, and travel expenses, while other expenditures, such as real estate acquisitions, are excluded.

Funding rates ranging from 50% to 80% of eligible total expenses enable applicants to implement projects with a maximum funding amount of up to €400,000. The objective of the funding is to advance technological innovations and strengthen digitalization in the construction sector. Through practice-oriented measures, innovative approaches to cost reduction, efficiency improvement, and optimization of construction processes are to be developed and transferred into practice. Funded projects include, in addition to the research of new building materials, model constructions that also consider sustainability and resilience in dealing with extreme weather events. The initiative thus places an emphasis on forward-looking knowledge transfer between research and practical implementation, which is intended to secure the long-term competitiveness of the North Rhine-Westphalian construction industry.

Eligible to apply are educational institutions, public institutions, companies, private individuals, as well as private and non-profit organizations based in North Rhine-Westphalia. Year-round application submission allows interested parties flexible planning and submission of their projects. A prerequisite for funding is that the project generates new insights regarding technological developments and construction methods and applies them as practically as possible. The program supports not only technical but also organizational innovation—an approach that supports the sustainable transformation of the construction industry. This funding instrument encourages committed actors in the construction sector to explore new paths and thus contribute to the digital transformation and resource conservation in the industry.