Futurebuild Innovation Awards 2026

Where innovation shapes the future of the construction sector

The Futurebuild Innovation Awards celebrate the most forward-thinking and sustainable solutions across the construction, real estate and architecture sectors.
Established companies, young start-ups and student projects alike are given the opportunity to showcase their innovation and gain recognition from both a professional jury and the public.

Award ceremony: 28 January 2026 – Futurebuild Belgium, Brussels Expo (Palais 5

Innovation

with impact

The Futurebuild Innovation Awards shine a spotlight on groundbreaking ideas that contribute to a circular, energy-efficient and digital construction sector. From sustainable materials to smart technologies, each entry demonstrates how innovation is shaping the future of building and driving the industry forward.

PUBLIC VOTE

IN THE APP

The public plays an active role in the final decision. Visitors to the event will soon be able to cast their vote via the app for the most innovative solution in each category. This way, the final outcome reflects not only the jury’s assessment, but also the appreciation of the industry itself.

Recognition

from leading experts

An independent jury made up of leading figures from architecture, engineering, research and public policy also plays a key role in selecting the winners of the Futurebuild Innovation Awards, first shortlisting three nominations per category. Their judgement guarantees quality, relevance and impact — a meaningful recognition that continues to resonate long after the event.

Best Start-up

Voor jonge ondernemingen die de status quo uitdagen en met creatieve oplossingen of slimme technologieën de toekomst van duurzaam bouwen versnellen.
Van prototype tot marktintroductie: de jury bekijkt hoe vernieuwend én realiseerbaar het concept is.

Best Established Company nominees:

Yuco – Nelissen Bricks

With Yuco, Nelissen Bricks has developed a new generation of brick slips that retain the aesthetics and quality of traditional bricks, while being produced without a firing process. The core of this innovation lies in a low-carbon production concept that uses secondary mineral raw materials and cures at low temperatures. The result is a strong, dimensionally stable end product with a significantly reduced environmental footprint.

The brick slips offer precise dimensions and consistent geometry, are highly frost-resistant, and are technically suitable for integration into a wide range of façade systems, including ETICS and prefabricated solutions. Thanks to the production process, they are available in a broad variety of colours and textures, including hand-moulded and Wasserstrich finishes.

Yuco therefore addresses multiple challenges at once: the demand for low-carbon materials, the need for industrialised façade construction methods, the growing focus on circularity, and the ambition to preserve architectural qual

Forestlines® – Paulussen Houthandel

Forestlines® is the world’s first timber façade system to achieve fire reaction class B-s1, d0 without the use of fire-retardant treatments. Through the subtle integration of a non-combustible aluminium strip, timber is optimised to a level never previously possible.

As no salts, polymers or chemical treatments are used, there is no leaching and no periodic maintenance is required to maintain the fire classification. Forestlines® therefore remains just as fire-safe at the end of its service life as it is on day one.

Combined with its circular design and a verified life cycle assessment, Forestlines® offers a sustainable, safe and low-maintenance solution for those seeking to combine the natural aesthetics of wood with the highest standards of fire safety.

ARTEVO and ARTEVO TERRA – REHAU NV

ARTEVO and ARTEVO TERRA are REHAU’s next-generation window and door systems, designed for sustainable architecture. They combine advanced RAU-FIPRO X fibre composite technology with outstanding energy performance and circular design principles. Thanks to the use of fibre composites, the systems can be produced without steel reinforcement, reducing weight by up to 40% while fully maintaining structural strength.

The profiles contain up to 75% recycled material and are fully recyclable, contributing to CO₂ reduction, improved energy efficiency and a closed material loop. With the integration of a Low-E solution and support for passive house standards, ARTEVO and ARTEVO TERRA deliver excellent thermal performance. In addition, digital traceability via Window.ID ensures transparency and further reinforces the circular nature of the systems.

Best Start-up nominees:

For young companies that challenge the status quo and accelerate the future of sustainable construction through creative solutions or smart technologies.
From prototype to market launch, the jury assesses both the level of innovation and the practical feasibility of the concept.

SCOPR.ai

SCOPR.ai is the first technology to automatically convert any property into a reliable digital twin model using data sources, AI and minimal user input. Based on this digital twin, SCOPR.ai delivers an accurate renovation cost estimate within seconds, including the impact on energy performance and property value. For the first time, buyers, real estate agents, banks, contractors and valuation specialists gain access to a uniform, objective and scalable cost assessment — a process that is currently manual, subjective and time-consuming.

SCOPR.ai is innovative because it fundamentally transforms how renovation costs are assessed in the real estate market. Its core innovation lies in the ability to generate a digital twin of any property using only an address, existing sales documentation and ten simple questions. By combining geodata, certificates, photo analysis, market benchmarks and thousands of historical calculations, the model produces a consistent and objective renovation estimate within seconds. This removes the need for on-site experts in the early stages and enables a scalable, repeatable process that has never before existed in the real estate sector.

Pleevi

Pleevi is an AI-driven energy management system for large EV fleets, designed for sites with high charging demand such as workplace car parks, public charging hubs and bus depots. The platform optimises AC chargers, DC fast chargers and stationary batteries by combining accurate forecasts of solar generation, building consumption, electricity prices and driving behaviour.

A unique feature is the integration of drivers’ departure times and required driving range. This ensures that each vehicle receives exactly the right amount of energy at the right moment, guaranteeing timely availability without impacting comfort or operational planning.

By continuously generating 24-hour charging schedules and adjusting them every 15 minutes, Pleevi reduces energy costs, lowers peak loads on the grid and maximises the use of locally generated renewable energy. The result is a reliable, predictable and scalable charging process, even at the most complex multi-asset locations.

Falt Solar – Roofit.Solar & Metigla

Falt Solar by Roofit.Solar is an integrated solar roofing solution where renewable energy generation and architectural aesthetics come together. The system has been further optimised for higher efficiency and is now available in five different colours — for both the roofing material and the solar cells.

In an increasing number of construction projects, aesthetics play a decisive role, sometimes even outweighing maximum energy output. This is particularly true for historic buildings and residential homes with complex roof geometries. Falt Solar makes it possible to integrate solar energy almost invisibly into the building design.

In addition, the risk of leakage is eliminated, and the system can be installed in the same way as a traditional standing seam roof. This sets it apart from many other integrated solar solutions that require specific substructures and complex installation methods. As Falt Solar can be installed by a standard roofing contractor, it offers a realistic alternative to conventional solar panels and is suitable for large-scale application.

Leading sector jury

Their judgement guarantees quality, relevance and impact — a meaningful recognition that continues to resonate long after the event.

Alexander Mijts – VIBE vzw
Carolin Spirinckx – VITO
Patrick Verdonck – Antea Group
Bart Daneels – FEMA–FEPROMA

Discover these innovations at Futurebuild Belgium 2026

These innovations can be discovered during Futurebuild Belgium. Explore the six nominations at the Innovation Corner and during the award ceremony on Day 2 of the event.

A PHYSICAL PRESENCE IN THE INNOVATION CORNER

A PITCH MOMENT ON STAGE AHEAD OF THE AWARD CEREMONY ON 28 JANUARY 2026

Awards process

A transparent process with quality and visibility at its core.
The entire campaign runs from submission to the award ceremony in January:

1 december 2025 – Deadline inzendingen: Alle dossiers worden beoordeeld door de professionele vakjury.

Begin december – Selectie van genomineerden: De jury selecteert per categorie drie finalisten.

December – Media-aandacht & publieksstemming: De zes genomineerden worden uitgebreid voorgesteld via de website, nieuwsbrief, social media en pers. Tegelijk start de publieksstemming, waar ook bezoekers en professionals hun stem kunnen uitbrengen.

28 januari 2026 – Uitreiking tijdens Futurebuild Belgium: De winnaars worden bekendgemaakt op het podium in Brussels Expo (Paleis 5), in aanwezigheid van de jury, pers en het Futurebuild-publiek.