RENOMIZE: Renovation with automation and optimization of processes and products

Status: Ongoing Energy Built environment

RENOMIZE advances prefabricated deep renovation of buildings through automation and industrialisation. This makes renovation faster, cheaper and more accessible. It integrates innovative processes and product technologies to streamline the full renovation chain, from design to end-of-life.

With pilot projects in Belgium, Estonia and Switzerland, complemented by test campaigns in Switzerland and Spain, RENOMIZE demonstrates scalable, cost-effective renovation solutions across Europe.

Challenges

Buildings account for a significant share of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Large-scale renovation is therefore needed to meet climate targets. Despite progress, the renovation sector still faces challenges in improving efficiency, reducing costs and optimizing processes across the full building renovation chain, from planning and design to construction and end-of-life management.

RENOMIZE solution

The EU-funded RENOMIZE project addresses these challenges by introducing innovative solutions at multiple stages of the renovation process. These include:

Advanced decision support tools for optimising building site preparations and the selection, integration and implementation of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and renewable energy systems (RES).
Enhanced process planning through spatiotemporal or space-time coordination.
Innovative anchoring and connection systems that enable non-sequential, automated mounting of prefabricated façade panels, using a self-positioning system with end-effectors.
Phased optimisation strategies for in-factory automation.

Consortium and expected impact

RENOMIZE brings together research institutes, technology developers and construction industry experts. Stakeholders are engaged from the onset of the project to support practical uptake.

The project aims to achieve cost reductions of over 25% and considerable time savings. These targets will be validated through elaborate testing for disruptive events in Switzerland and Spain, and through complementary demonstration projects in Belgium, Estonia and Switzerland.

Wider uptake is integrated in RENOMIZE’s concept through certification, technical assistance and various capacity building activities.

VITO’s role in RENOMIZE

VITO leads the work on optimising and automating on-site installation of prefabricated panels. This addresses the limitations of conventional methods that are labor-intensive, time-consuming, prone to errors and dependent on sequential panel placement.

Building on expertise in construction robotics and building envelope innovation, we are developing an alternative strategy that combines redesigned anchors for reversible mounting with a self-positioning system that automates the installation. This approach enhances precision, reduces errors, and supports faster and more flexible renovation processes.

Through RENOMIZE, VITO delivers cutting-edge research and innovation to the construction sector, while staying closely aligned with the practical need for cost reduction and improved accessibility in building renovation.