The consortium of DTERBIM (Driving Transformation on Energy-efficient and circular Renovation through BIM), a €3.83 million project funded under the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme, is proud to announce its official launch. This pioneering initiative aims to transform how Europe designs, builds, renovates, and manages buildings by shifting from a linear construction process to a circular, digital, and sustainable model.
A vision for a circular, digital, and sustainable construction sector
Over 42 months, DTERBIM will develop an innovative, interoperable, and adaptable BIM-based methodology —the DTERBIM process— to make construction and renovation management more efficient by optimising resources (materials, products, energy), reducing time and costs, and embedding circularity principles from the outset.
This vision will be enabled by the DTERBIM Toolkit, a suite of user-friendly, cost-effective digital tools, AI-powered services, and Digital Twins, all integrated within an openBIM ecosystem. By supporting seamless tool interaction, robusta data exchange, and effective stakeholder collaboration, the DTERBIM ecosystem will empower the construction sector to make informed, sustainable decisions throughout the entire building lifecycle —from design and construction to operation, maintenance, deconstruction, and reuse.
By creating an open, inclusive, and technology-agnostic ecosystem, DTERBIM will accelerate the digital transformation of the construction sector, enhance innovation acceptance, and support the EU’s sustainability and digitalisation objectives.
“The DTERBIM project aims to demonstrate how digitalisation can transform the way we design, renovate and manage buildings, integrating circularity for a more efficient and sustainable process. By combining digital technologies such as BIM, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Twins, it will help improve material traceability and enable more informed decision-making throughout the building lifecycle. Ultimately, DTERBIM aspires to take a decisive step toward a more innovative, circular and connected AEC sector”, says project coordinator, Sonia Álvarez Díaz, Energy Division at CARTIF.
The project officially launched on 29–30 October 2025 with a Kick-off Meeting hosted by its coordinator, CARTIF Technology Centre, at the organisation’s headquarters in Valladolid, Spain.
Five pilot demonstrations
DTERBIM’s approach will be validated through two virtual pilots —for technology validation in early stages— and demonstrated in three real-life buildings:
- A residential historical building in Valladolid, Spain.
- An academic building in Warsaw, Poland.
- A kindergarten and elementary school in Athens, Greece.
These pilots aim to demonstrate tangible results, including up to 15% reductions in costs and time, 35% improvements in building performance, and 15% in materials saved for reuse, while engaging over 60 SMEs at local and regional levels.
By integrating participatory approaches and aligning with key EU initiatives, DTERBIM will help define, develop, and demonstrate a new paradigm for the European construction and renovation sector.
A diverse and multidisciplinary consortium
The DTERBIM consortium combines expertise across engineering, architecture, computer science, environmental sciences, social sciences, economics, and policy, ensuring a holistic approach to innovation and implementation.
Partners include: CARTIF, Mostostal Warszawa, University College London, ICCS – NTUA (Institute of Communication and Computer Systems of NTUA), CEMOSA, CYPE, Contecht GmbH, Live Information System, Buildings Performance Institute Europe, Acciona Construcción, VEOLIA Servicios LECAM, GEOTER, FASADA, Warsaw University of Technology, Hellenic Passive House Institute, Urban Soul Project, Smartflex, and Australo.