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The conference “Build the canvi: driving innovation for an affordable and sustainable habitat” is an international conference co-organized by the European Investment Bank Group (BEI) and the Barcelona City Council, through the Barcelona Municipal Institute of Habitat and Rehabilitation (IMHAB).
For two days, Barcelona has become a focal point for European institutions, cities, housing operators, financial entities, construction companies and technological start-ups to put innovation in construction at the center of affordable and sustainable housing policies. The objective: accelerate the production of quality public housing, reduce construction time and costs, improve energy efficiency and donate real responses to the demand for housing in European cities.
During the day, a financing agreement of €113 million was formalized between the European Investment Bank and the Barcelona City Council to promote 9 social and sustainable public housing promotions, with a proposal for 640 new habitats managed by the IMHAB between 2026 and 2030. This agreement consolidates Barcelona as a European benchmark in the combination of green finance, constructive innovation and public housing policy.
Presentations
Institutional welcome
Maria Romano, head of the BEI Group office in Madrid, welcomes and presents the day's program and gives way to the institutional interventions: opening by Jordi Valls, deputy mayor for Economy, Finance, Housing and Tourism of Barcelona City Council, video message from the president of the European Investment Bank Group, Nadia Calviño, and words from the vice president of the BEI, Ioannis Tsakiris.
High-level debate: What are national and EU institutions doing to address the housing affordability crisis through innovation in construction?
Debate with key representatives of the European Union on how to tackle the housing crisis and accelerate innovation in construction: moderated by the Head of Institutional Policies of the EIB Group in Brussels, Bianca Faragau, features Irene Tinagli, Chair of the European Parliament's Special Committee on the Housing Crisis; Matthew Baldwin, Chair of the European Commission's Working Group on Housing; Barbara Bonvissuto, Director of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs; and Sorcha Edwards, Secretary-General for Housing Europe who outline the European framework, legislative initiatives, financial instruments and the role of cities and the social housing sector in this change.
Mayors Alliance Roundtable: How can cities promote and support innovative housing construction to reduce costs and accelerate the supply of new affordable housing?
Panel moderated by Mar Jiménez, Commissioner for European Affairs of Barcelona, with the Deputy Mayors of the Housing Alliance: Jordi Valls, Deputy Mayor of Barcelona City Council; Tobia Zevi, Deputy Mayor of Rome, Fabio Bottero, Deputy Mayor of Milan; and Jena Reinette, Deputy Mayor of Paris. Debate on the role of cities in promoting innovative construction systems to reduce costs, shorten deadlines and increase the supply of affordable housing; the panel explores urban planning instruments, housing policies, European collaborations and the role of municipal alliances in transforming the market.
Preparing the ground for innovation in construction
Maria Romano presents the European Investment Bank Group's framework for action with interventions by Tanguy Desrousseaux, Director of Housing, Social Cohesion and Urban Regeneration of the EIB Group and Sanjoy Rajan, Head of Corporate Operations Division of the EIB Group and the presentation by Heiko Ammermann, consultant at Roland Berger Global who analyses challenges and opportunities to scale industrialised, digital and low environmental impact construction in Europe.
Panel 1: A common vision of the financial and construction sectors. What can they offer and what do they need to drive the implementation of innovation in construction?
First panel of the afternoon, moderated by Anders Risberg, Head of Division at the European Investment Bank, where representatives from the financial, industrial and construction sectors meet: Miquel Pinto, General Manager of the Building Cluster; Ricardo Ayala, Business Developer at BEKAERT Sustainable Construction; Màxim Almodóvar, Investment Officer at the European Investment Bank; Miquel Menz, Chief Administrative Officer at GROPYUS; Aitor Ayastuy, General Manager at ULMA; and Antoni Bandrés, Head of International Corporate Finance, to share a joint vision on what they can offer and what they need to deploy innovative solutions in the construction of affordable and sustainable housing on a large scale.
Panel 2: What can the public sector do to promote the construction of innovative housing?
Panel moderated by Elena Campelo, EIB Group representative in the Urban Development area of the Housing, Social Cohesion and Urban Regeneration Directorate, with the participation of Gerard Guerra, architect at the Municipal Institute of Housing and Rehabilitation of Barcelona (IMHAB); Seán Armstrong, senior advisor at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage of Ireland; Tonis Arjus, chief architect of the State of Estonia; and Francisco Diéguez, general director of the Institute of Construction Technology of Catalonia (ITeC).
Panel 3: How can we scale up innovative solutions?
Panel moderated by Gunnar Muent, senior advisor of the General Secretariat of the BEI Group, with the participation of Paco Gómez Escofet, Hub Leader of ConTech International; Ana Lozano, director general and co-founder of Laboratorio NIDUS; Víctor Muntes, CEO and co-founder of BEAWRE; Alejandra Manzanares Johnsen, BEI Group investment manager in the area of clean tech; Pol Merino, CEO and co-founder of HONEXT, and Suvi Sell, financial director of AISTI.
Institutional closing of the Conference: Building change: Driving innovation for affordable and sustainable housing
Joan Ramon Riera, Commissioner for Housing, reaffirms the shared commitment with the European Investment Bank Group to promote innovation in construction and expand the public, affordable and sustainable housing stock in the city. David Yormesor, Head of Communications for the EIB Group, summarises the main messages of the day and thanks the speakers and attendees for their participation.