Our mission
DISCOVER is a four-year European project dedicated to transforming the construction industry by harnessing emerging technologies to accelerate the twin transitions of green sustainability and digital transformation

Revolutionizing the construction and demolition industry
Innovative solutions
Key points
Project info
Project acronym: DISCOVER
Call: HORIZON-CL4-2023-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-TWO-STAGE
Topic: HORIZON-CL4-2023-TWIN-TRANSITION-01-11
Type of Action: HORIZON-RIA
Grant Agreement number: 101129909
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Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (UPC), Spain – Coordinator
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C5Lab – Sustainable Construction Materials Association (C5Lab), Portugal
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DigitalTwin Technology GmbH (DTT), Germany
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Fundacion Tecnalia Research & Innovation (Tecnalia), Spain
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Hercal Zero SL (H-Zero), Spain
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Holcim Innovation Center SAS (HIC), France
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Instituto Superior Tecnico (IST), Portugal
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Institut Mines-Telecom (IMT), France
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Panellinia Enosi Diplomatouchon Michanikon Ergolipton Dimosion Ergon (PEDMEDE), Greece
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Technische Universiteit Delft (TU Delft), the Netherlands
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Tree Capital Sp.z.o.o. (Tree), Poland
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Tracimat vzw (Tracimat vzw), Belgium
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UPC Technology Center (CIT UPC), Spain
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Vlaamse Instelling Voor Technologisch Onderzoek N.V. (VITO), Belgium
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) – Spain
discover.project@upc.edu
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Develop new techniques and technologies to rapidly identify materials and their characteristics, construction products and components
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Develop solutions to digitally record, categorise and tag existing materials, construction products and elements
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Develop solutions that would analyse the suitability of identified elements for use in a circular economy
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Address ways to make circular use of the identified elements as secondary materials or reused products on the market in construction projects
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Address ways in which the characteristics of identified elements are presented in a user-friendly manner to relevant actors
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Build on existing standards or contribute to standardisation. Interoperability for data sharing should be addressed, for example concerning product databases and cross-border collaboration
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Present a strategy for skills development, associating social partners where relevant, integrating SSH aspects and including relevant tools such as MOOCs (massive open online courses)
Industrial community in the construction and demolition activities
Professionals and researchers in the areas of civil and building engineering, circularity, robotics, signal processing, AI and social sciences
Public authorities and policy makers
Professional associations and networks
Universities and R&D centres
General public
Optimize deconstruction processes, reduce waste, and enhance worker safety
Increase reused components by up to 20% in Europe, reduce workrelated injuries by over 25%, and lower construction sector emissions by 15%
Reduce C&DW by 55%
Increased use of BIM-based digital twins for decision making on C&D activities
Increased use of sensor-based identification in C&D
A better life cycle of C&D elements, thanks to the multicycle LCA and LCC
Increased supply and usage of secondary materials
Reduction of the amount of C&D waste
Improvement of the selective demolition processes with the interactive BIM model
Job specialization and reduction of intensive and hazardous labour in C&D