SUSTAINABUILD: Third in-person meeting, this time in Murcia
The European project SUSTAINABUILD started early last year with the main objectives of promoting awareness and increasing knowledge about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) among stakeholders in the construction sector. It involves collaboration between the Technological Center of Construction of the Region of Murcia (CTCON) and three universities: the University of Applied Sciences in Belgium (PXL), the University of Applied Sciences in Denmark (UCN), and the University of Applied Sciences in Finland (SAMK).
The SDG were approved by the UN in 2015 and are part of the 2030 Agenda. There are 17 goals covering the entire spectrum of sustainability: environmental, economic, and social. Their potential application in construction poses a significant challenge for an industry that involves vast amounts of resources and has a strong impact.
Within the project framework, various activities have been carried out, including the organization of a focus group involving prominent members from the region's main universities (UPCT and UCAM), the public administration, neighborhood associations, and companies (CHM Obras e Infraestructuras, Pavimentos Asfálticos LARIO, and Cementos Cruz). The meeting was highly productive, leading to important conclusions that will facilitate the achievement of the project's next objectives: launching an international course for university students and designing an informative manual for professionals in the sector. All materials produced will be publicly accessible.
Although most of the collaboration within the project is conducted online, several in-person meetings are scheduled among the partners. Following an initial meeting in Denmark and a second one in Belgium, last April, all partners traveled to Spain to meet at the recently renovated facilities of CTCON. In addition to the progress sessions for the project's different objectives, Víctor Martínez Pacheco from Cementos Cruz presented one of their latest projects, a successful example of implementing the SDGs.
