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Aperture Innovation

About the Project

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Challenges and Objectives

The construction and property sectors face a widening gap between technological advancements and the skills of the current workforce. The need for green, sustainable solutions has never been more urgent, yet traditional education often fails to equip graduates with the tools to meet these demands. Issues such as energy efficiency, high carbon emission, and outdated practices persist, hindering progress towards a more sustainable future. 

The APERTURE project aims to address these challenges through the following actions: 

  • Bridging the gap between academia and industry through collaborative learning and innovation 
  • Equipping students and professionals with skills in Proptech and sustainable construction 
  • Developing a new curriculum aligned with the European Green Deal and Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. 
  • Promoting entrepreneurship and innovation through business incubation activities

Our mission is to create a future-ready workplace capable of driving sustainability and innovation in the construction and property sectors.

Work Packages

APERTURE is structured into seven interconnected work packages, each led by an expert partner:

WP1 Project Management and Quality Control

Led by LAB University of Applied Sciences, this WP ensures the smooth execution of the project. It oversees administrative, financial, and legal responsibilities, monitors progress, and coordinates communication between partners.

WP2 Innovation Scoreboard - Proptech Industry & Academia

This WP identifies skills gaps in the proptech and construction sectors. It develops an Innovation Scoreboard to inform the creation of the APERTURE curriculum and ensures alignment with industry trends and sustainability goals.

WP3 Curriculum and Content Development for New Skills in Proptech & Buildings management

Focus on designing and delivering an innovative curriculum, this WP develops modular educational materials covering topics like smart building technologies, energy efficiency, and digital twins. Content is created with input from industry experts and academic partners.

WP4 MOOC & Workplace Application of Learning for Proptech Innovations

A Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) will be created to deliver the new curriculum. Two cycles of workplace application training will follow, enabling participants to gain hands-on experience with Proptech innovations.

WP5 Proptech Business Incubation & Technology Adoption

This WP encourages entrepreneurship by establishing a virtual business incubator. It will support learners in developing Proptech business ideas, culminating in a business plan competition with prizes for innovation and sustainability.

WP6 APERTURE Knowledge Transfer & ESG Activities

This WP focuses on ensuring the long-term impact and sustainability of the project. It promotes knowledge transfer through ESG benchmarking and collaboration with stakeholders. The WP also facilitates the adoption of best practices in sustainability and corporate responsibility across the industry.

WP7 Impact, Dissemination and Communication

This WP ensures the project’s visibility and outreach through strategic communication and dissemination activities. This includes managing the project’s website, social media presence, newsletters, events, and reports. It aims to maximise the impact of APERTURE’s results and make it available to a wide range of stakeholders.

Partners

LAB University of Applied Sciences (Finland)

As the project coordinator, LAB leads WP1 and provides expertise in sustainable design and innovation. Their experience in managing Erasmus+ projects ensures effective leadership

Universidad de Murcia (Spain)

University of Murcia is an academic institution, leading WP4, and specialises in digital life-long learning and research transfer to diverse sectors (also Proptech), contributing to curriculum development and corporate training.

AcrossLimits (Malta)

With a focus on vocational education and training, AcrossLimits excels in creating impactful dissemination strategies.

SYNTHESIS Center for Research and Education (Cyprus)

SYNTHESIS brings expertise in environmental sustainability and vocational education, playing a key role in WP6.

Inercia Digital (Spain)

Inercia Digital is a Vocational Training Center of Excellence specialized in training and innovation in digital skills at an international level. It was appointed member of “Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition” of the European Commission in 2017 and it has received the Young Innovative Company Certificate by AENOR in 2015 and it has been awarded as an innovative company by the Huelva Regional Government in 2023.

Finance Innovation (France)

As a competitiveness cluster, Finance Innovation provides industry insights and facilitates connections with Proptech innovators and investors.

IKnowHow (Greece)

Specialising in deep-tech solutions, IKnowHow ensures the integration of robotics and AI technologies into the curriculum and training modules.

Scanquo (Ireland)

ScanQuoAI specialises in enhancing contract pricing accuracy for the cleaning and facilities management (FM) sector. With industry profit margins often as low as 3%, precise calculations are essential. ScanQuoAI™ applies advanced AI technology to set a new global standard in contract pricing, ensuring that every square foot is accounted for with unmatched accuracy.

Funding Scheme

The APERTURE project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union under the “Alliances for Innovation” call. This initiative promotes collaboration between academia and industry to address skills gaps, encourage innovation, and support the green and digital transitions. APERTURE makes use of this funding to create impactful educational tools and sustainable practices for the proptech and construction sectors.