Billion-kroner research grant to accelerate the green transition of the built environment
The construction sector currently accounts for 37 percent of CO2 emissions globally and therefore holds enormous potential for the green transition. Changing the way we construct and maintain the built environment requires new knowledge if we are to reduce resource consumption and the climate footprint. This is the background for a new research programme called Civil Engineering and the Green Transition in the Built Environment (CEBE) that will explore new solutions to promote sustainability in the construction sector.
Four universities leading the way
The programme will develop new knowledge, methods and materials that can reduce the climate impact and resource consumption of construction, while ensuring that houses, roads, bridges and other structures can last longer. As part of the effort, academic programs will be strengthened, and new talent will be attracted to the field.
The ambition behind CEBE is to make Denmark a European frontrunner in the field.
"More sustainable construction is crucial for the green transition, and it requires new knowledge, new methods and a willingness to change. With this generous grant from the Villum Foundation, the universities can set a completely new standard for education and research capacity in the field – one that will make a decisive difference for the construction sector in Denmark and Europe. There is a clear ‘before’ and ‘after’ this grant, for which I am very grateful on behalf of the universities," says Per Michael Johansen, Rector of Aalborg University.
Largest research grant
The Villum Foundation intends to invest DKK 1 billion in CEBE over 10 years. This is the foundation's largest research grant to date and a strategic initiative that encompasses the entire ecosystem of the built environment – from developing new educational and research capacity to recruiting international talent and collaborating with stakeholders from the construction sector and industry.
CEBE is structured around seven research fields that together cover the entire life cycle of the built environment – from design, construction and operation to lifetime extension and reuse. These areas are closely interconnected, and the interdisciplinary approach ensures that new knowledge and new technologies are not developed in silos but translated into real-world solutions.
Capacity building
The programme aims not only to strengthen excellence, but also to broaden and diversify Denmark’s educational and research environment within this field. With long-term capacity building, the ambition is to create the leaders of the future in climate-conscious construction.
Jens Kann-Rasmussen, Chair of the Villum Foundation, welcomes the universities’ constructive engagement in the collaboration.
"With CEBE, we are bringing together some of the country's strongest research environments in a joint effort to develop solutions that reduce the climate footprint of construction and enhance societal resilience. It is an investment in knowledge and innovation that will benefit society as a whole," he says, adding:
"The Villum Foundation's philanthropic work is made possible by the construction industry. It is therefore a great pleasure for us to help accelerate the research-based transition of the sector toward cleaner, greener and more regenerative future."
International reach
Through global recruitment of research talent and collaboration with international research environments and companies, the programme will bridge Danish knowledge with global challenges. More than DKK 100 million is allocated for international collaboration, including a strategic partnership with a university abroad and opportunities for international researchers to participate.
- Official start: 1 January, 2026
- Budget: DKK 1 billion over ten years (2026–2035)
- Midterm evaluation: After 4–5 years, the initiative is evaluated for continued support
- Partners: Aalborg University, Aarhus University, Technical University of Denmark, University of Southern Denmark
- Purpose: Capacity building in research and education to make Denmark a European leader in sustainable construction
- Scope: Research, joint educational initiatives, recruitment of international talent, industry collaboration, international networking, and more
CEBE’s seven research areas:
This research field develops new methods for assessing the climate and environmental impact and resource consumption of buildings and infrastructure. The goal is to create precise, dynamic models that can guide the industry in meeting absolute sustainability goals and assist decision makers.
How do you build something that will last longer and be reused at the right time? This research area develops new design methods that combine circular economy, sustainable choice of materials and digital technology. This means buildings created for reuse and adapted to a low-carbon society, preferably without compromising on quality, durability or aesthetics.
The construction sector accounts for 31 percent of the world's material consumption. Researchers in this field are working to develop and test new, climate-friendly building materials. Such as building materials developed from recycled resources. Or new regenerative materials with a much lower CO2 footprint that at the same time retain strength and durability.
Digitalization and automation are already revolutionizing construction. This field explores everything from artificial intelligence, robot assembly to 3D printing – methods that can help make new construction, renovation and demolition more resource-efficient.
Climate change means more storms, cloudbursts and floods. This area is developing methods and technologies to make roads, bridges, ports and coastal protection more resilient – including through nature-based solutions, upgrading, advanced monitoring and optimized emergency response strategies.
Construction in a more sustainable world is not just about reducing CO2 emissions. It is also about how buildings affect people's health and well-being and meet actual needs. This field combines new principles of "sufficiency" with research on energy consumption, indoor climate and comfort, so that we can live and work in healthy and safe ways with fewer resources.
Building new is expensive for the climate. Therefore, we must be better at renovating and upgrading what we already have. This field develops methods to assess the condition of buildings and structures, predict their lifespan, look at appropriate change of use and more sustainable renovation.
