Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI
Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI

Project

Evaluation of the programme: "Future Building" 2017–2027

Since 2006, the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) has been funding research and development projects in the fields of civil engineering, architecture, and the construction and housing industries through the "Future Building" innovation programme on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB). Support is primarily provided for practice-oriented projects that develop new solutions to current challenges. These include, in particular, topics such as climate-adapted construction, resource-efficient materials, new planning and construction processes, and innovative technical and architectural concepts. This new knowledge is intended to be transferred into application and construction practice.

Over the years, a broad spectrum of projects has emerged that address both technological developments and social and economic issues. At the same time, the question arises as to how and to what extent the project results are being implemented in practice and which long-term effects they are generating. This is the starting point of the evaluation project. It incorporates findings from the first impact analysis (in German)  and expands the analysis to include projects that have since been approved and funded. Furthermore, it goes a step further by not only examining past impacts but also developing approaches to systematically track future effects.

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The evaluation of the "Future Building" programme analyses the results achieved by the research and development projects funded through the supporting programme and the implementation of the research results in construction practice. The goal is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the programme’s impact and to derive concrete recommendations for its future development. In this way, the evaluation helps to make the contribution of research to a sustainable and future-proof construction sector more visible and manageable.

To this end, the results and impacts of projects funded since 2017 are systematically recorded and evaluated. The evaluation examines newly generated knowledge through the funding, the extent to which this knowledge has been transferred into construction practice, and the resulting long-term effects. A particular focus is to show the relations between research, application, and societal impact.

 

At the core of the evaluation is an impact model that describes the path from the approved proposal to its long-term effects. The starting point is the funding provided, which enables research activities to be conducted. These projects generate concrete results, such as new concepts, methods, materials, or recommendations for the construction sector.

The next step examines how these results are further utilised and disseminated by the stakeholders involved and to what extent they are incorporated into practice. This can ultimately lead to longer-term impacts, such as new standards, changes in planning processes, additional qualifications, or economic activities.

This model makes it possible to examine the impacts of the funding programme in a comprehensive manner along a traceable development process, and to better understand how research contributes to actual changes in the construction sector.

A portfolio of various methodological elements is used, encompassing both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The first point of departure is the funding statistics maintained and continuously refined by the BBSR, which cover the core characteristics of the funded projects. Additional bases for analysis include the evaluation of available statistical data, a survey of grant recipients, as well as targeted background and expert interviews, document analyses, and interactive formats such as expert workshops. The various empirical findings will be synthesized in order to subsequently develop recommendations for the client. All steps will be carried out in close coordination with the client, so that the long-standing and comprehensive expertise of the BBSR’s experts can be included in the evaluation.

 

Based on the evaluation’s objectives and using various methodological elements as well as the triangulation of the individual findings, the evaluation will systematically document the results and impacts of the funded projects and assess the insights gained with a view to future monitoring. In this way, the ex-post evaluation is combined with a forward-looking perspective and, in addition to generating content-related and methodological insights, serves to further develop the funding programme.

Duration

April 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027

Client

  • Bundesinstitut für Bau-, Stadt- und Raumforschung (BBSR) im Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung
    Project ID: 10.08.18.5-24.1
    Contact: Referat WB 3 "Forschung und Innovation im Bauwesen"
    E-Mail: zb@bbr.bund.de
     

Partner

  • Technische Universität München, School of Engineering and Design, Department of Architecture
    Prof. Thomas Auer, Martin Luce, Dr. Sandra Schuster