At Reincarnate, we are developing innovative solutions for the greener construction industry. In parallel to the technical and digital innovations described throughout the last month, the Reincarnate team is preparing social means to give new opportunities to buildings, construction products and materials, and the individuals who make decisions regarding them.
At the core of this mission, the team behind Reincarnate aims to provide innovations and, more concretely, a Circular Potential Information Management (CP-IM) system that allows for holistic decision-making based on relevant data at the different system levels. Developing these innovations requires a social approach to foster technology adoption and establish markets. Thanks to the planning and setting up of social innovations, we will create circular markets and value flows and understand the mechanisms to be widespread and accelerate the use of these technologies, impacting at a societal level.
Social innovation permeating Reincarnate’s work
The Reincarnate team has Work Package 4 dedicated to social and market innovations. This work package focuses on the understanding the needs and dynamics of stakeholders in the construction industry. The aim is to overcome barriers to adoption of circular solutions, such as fostering a culture of circularity that makes companies more open to change, and implementing financial models that account for the reuse potential of components and materials.
The Reincarnate project will develop three social innovations that harness our team’s geographic and cultural diversity. These innovations will support the widespread adoption of circular innovations, allow for the economic appraisal of circular products, and establish regional circular markets.
The social innovation sector as a target group
According to the OECD, social innovation refers to designing and implementing new solutions that imply conceptual, process, product, or organisational change. Their ultimate goal is to improve the welfare and well-being of individuals and communities. Therefore, implementing disruptive tools in buildings and construction is not just a mere technical question, and human and ethical factors are compulsory to facilitate a transformation compliant with the workforce’s needs and the broader social context.
Social innovators identify the challenges, strengthen the opportunities for user-friendliness and empower a smooth transition to the Future of Work. Ultimately, they prevent the workers from continuously adapting to ever-evolving technology. In addition, these specialists strive for a more attractive, safer, and sustainable industry, pointing out opportunities for upskilling.
In this sense, we are committed to the interdisciplinary European initiative of the New European Bauhaus. This initiative is situated at the crossroads between social inclusion, science, and technology.
