Innovation is at the heart of Le’ Colaz, and we are proud to celebrate an important milestone for the project and its consortium. A scientific paper developed within the framework of Le’ Colaz has received the Best Young Research Paper Award at the International Conference on Engineering, Technology, and Innovation (ICE/IEEE ITMC 2026), one of the flagship conferences of the IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society (TEMS).
Presented in Porto, Portugal by Panagiota Rempi, the paper, titled “From Static Structures to Living Data: A Layered Architecture for Lifecycle Data Management in Circular Modular Construction”, highlights one of the key digital innovations being developed within the Le’ Colaz project. The recognition underscores the scientific excellence of the consortium and its commitment to advancing sustainable and intelligent construction through cutting-edge research.
From Static Buildings to Living Data
As buildings become increasingly modular, circular, and digitally connected, managing the vast amount of information generated throughout their lifecycle is becoming a major challenge. The award-winning paper addresses this challenge by proposing a layered reference architecture capable of securely managing and connecting data generated throughout the entire lifecycle of modular buildings.
The proposed architecture brings together data from multiple sources—including Building Information Modelling (BIM), IoT sensor networks, simulation outputs, Digital Product Passports (DPPs), and AI models—into a single interoperable digital ecosystem. Rather than treating buildings as static structures, the approach enables them to become continuously evolving digital assets that can be monitored, adapted, maintained, reused, and ultimately deconstructed in a more sustainable way.
The architecture is designed to support the complete lifecycle of modular construction by enabling:
- secure and interoperable lifecycle data management;
- real-time monitoring through IoT technologies;
- AI-powered analytics and predictive maintenance;
- Digital Product Passports to ensure traceability and circularity;
- intelligent decision-making for adaptation, reuse, and resource optimisation.
Ultimately, this digital framework lays the foundation for smarter, more resilient, and more circular buildings, fully aligned with the objectives of the Le’ Colaz project.
A Digital Backbone for Circular Construction
One of the paper’s most significant contributions is the development of a reusable digital architecture that supports every stage of a building’s lifecycle—from design and construction to operation, renovation, reuse, and deconstruction. The architecture has been specifically designed to support the innovative modular construction system being developed by Le’ Colaz and will be validated through the project’s Living Labs in Athens, Greece, and Trondheim, Norway.
By combining advanced data management, semantic interoperability, AI readiness, and secure governance, the proposed framework addresses existing gaps in lifecycle data management while paving the way for future digital construction ecosystems.
Recognition of Scientific Excellence
Receiving the Best Young Research Paper Award at ICE/IEEE ITMC 2026 is an important recognition not only for the authors but also for the Le’ Colaz project as a whole. It demonstrates the consortium’s ability to produce high-quality scientific research that contributes to Europe’s transition towards circular, low-carbon, and resilient built environments.
The paper was co-authored by researchers from thel Le’ Colaz partners:
- Decision Support Systems Laboratory (DSS Lab), Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS), National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Greece: Panagiota Rempi, Angelos Mikelis, Stavroula Chalvantzi, Sotiris Pelekis, Christos Ntanos, Spiros Mouzakitis, Dimitris Askounis
- Luleå University of Technology (LTU), Sweden: Marios-Nektarios Stamatopoulos, George Nikolakopoulos
- R-NanoLab – Research Lab of Advanced, Composite, Nano Materials & Nanotechnology, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Greece: Maria Modestou, Vasiliki Tsotoulidi, Costas Charitidis
- Tech Inspire UK Ltd., United Kingdom: Yogachandran Rahulamathavan, Talal Ous, Jana Haj Darwish
Looking Ahead
This award marks an exciting milestone in Le’ Colaz’s journey and reflects the strength of collaboration between the project’s academic and industrial partners. As the project continues to develop innovative circular construction technologies, this recognition reinforces its commitment to delivering impactful research that supports Europe’s vision for smarter, greener, and more resilient buildings.
Stay connected with Le’ Colaz as we continue transforming the future of construction through innovation, digital intelligence, and circular design.
