Collaboration and flexibility are key to innovating construction
Innovation in construction is complex. To get innovation off the ground, scientists must apply their expertise flexibly.
Published on September 11, 2025
Image: Maartje Stam
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More and more cities are facing heat stress due to climate change, the housing shortage continues to grow, and a large part of the Dutch infrastructure requires replacement. The construction sector is facing major challenges. Scientific research is needed to find structural solutions for the long and short term. "These solutions will not come from a single discipline or a single university. It requires collaboration between different universities," says Stefan Aarninkhof, the brand-new chair of 4TU.Built Environment, at the start of the annual meet-up. 4TU. Built Environment, which encompasses the construction-related faculties of the four technical universities in the Netherlands, works together.
Multidisciplinarity is the keyword of our time. Social challenges are mounting, and finding solutions is proving to be a daunting task. The current era is characterized by complexity; everything is interconnected. What seems to be a solution to one problem can have negative consequences in another area. This also applies to the challenges in the built environment. Better insulation of buildings limits natural ventilation. Without adequate mechanical ventilation, this can lead to the accumulation of moisture, CO₂, and harmful substances, resulting in a poorer indoor climate and health problems. The nitrogen regulations, intended to protect vulnerable nature, also have a downside: they hinder housing construction, making it difficult for young people to buy their first home.
Collaboration is more important than ever
“That is why cooperation is more important than ever. As 4TU.In the Built Environment, we can truly make a difference. We combine technological knowledge with making a practical impact. We can further develop this in the future by also collaborating with companies and governments,” says Aarninkhof. He sees fragmentation. Parties are working on innovation, but they are not involving others enough in the process. “There is a great role for 4TU.Built Environment in streamlining innovation so that we can take it to the next level together.”
4TU.Built Environment consists of six Domain Acceleration Teams (DATs): energy transition, digitization, health in the built environment, climate adaptation and mitigation, circularity and sustainability, and infrastructure. The meet-up brings all teams together to share results, gain inspiration, and make plans for the future. Frank van der Hoeven, scientific director of 4TU.Built Environment: “In addition to the content, the community is also important.”
The expertise of scientists, entrepreneurs, policy makers, and other stakeholders is essential in this regard. The expertise needed to solve societal problems is subject to change. Technology, along with its various fields of expertise, is constantly evolving. In addition, those involved continue to develop on a personal level. “This is a responsibility that lies with the organization, but also with the individual. Connect with others, gain experience, and learn from it. That way, you can also reposition yourself,” says Aarninkhof.
From expertise to flexpertise
During the meet-up, attendees were given a workshop on flexpertise: the ability to apply expertise flexibly, adapt to change, and stimulate innovation. Lonneke Frie developed this workshop and, with her company Oshi, helps organizations achieve greater transparency.
During the workshop, attendees set to work mapping out their own areas of expertise and how these have developed over the years. “It's not just about education, but also about hobbies. That also says a lot about how you work and where your strengths lie. This allows you to map out how you, as an expert, can make a difference today and where the opportunities for development lie,” Frie explains during the workshop. Flexibility is central to this. Can you adapt quickly to changing situations? Do you see opportunities for improvement, and do you dare to take the step to adapt your expertise accordingly? The audience—consisting mainly of scientists—is challenged to think about this interactively.
Connecting with stakeholders' questions
“This is also very relevant for our DATs,” says Maaike Riemersma, coordinator of 4TU.Built Environment. These teams possess a great deal of specialized expertise in their respective fields. "You can share that expertise in various ways. Firstly, it is essential to establish genuine contact with other stakeholders in innovation, including entrepreneurs, policy officers, and users. You achieve this by tailoring your message to them and consciously choosing what information to share and how to present it. Your story is tailored to the recipient and depends on the goal you are pursuing: do you want to set up a consortium, are you looking for funding, or do you want to understand exactly what challenge your conversation partner is facing that you can help solve?
The DAT team members practiced this during the workshop. They pitched to a real jury, just like on Dragons' Den. For scientists, this was outside their comfort zone, but it yielded many new insights. "We saw that the DATs still too often focused on their substantive proposition and that in the future they should try to put themselves in the other person's shoes even more. Who has a problem? Which of the recipient's problems can you solve, and how can your expertise benefit the recipient? And who pays for it? Often, the user and the payer are two different parties, so how do you get them both on board? The jury got the team members thinking about these kinds of questions," says Riemersma. “Delivering customized solutions, pulling out what is needed at that moment, that is flexpertise.”
University 4.0
This is somewhat further removed from the origins of science, but it is becoming increasingly important in today's world. It ties in with the philosophy of the fourth-generation university. In addition to education, research, and valorization, the focus here is on impact and tackling broad societal challenges. “Universities are increasingly opening their doors to companies and other organizations to work together to see how we can really bring about change,” says Riemersma. Many DATs are exploring opportunities to contribute to multidisciplinary projects or looking for other ways to transfer their knowledge to people outside the university.
Opportunities for 4TU.Built Environment
In addition to setting up innovative partnerships with private parties, Aarninkhof, chair of 4TU.Built Environment mentions two more goals for the coming period. The first is training and retaining talent for the built environment. This involves continuing education for professionals (Lifelong Learning) and collaboration, not only at the university level but also at the vocational and higher professional education levels. In addition, influencing strategic and political agendas will also become increasingly important.
The Disciplinary Council for Design in the Built Environment (DR OGO) also plays a role in this. This council is responsible for implementing the Sector Plan for Technology, a government plan that determines how additional investments in research and education can be best spent. The Disciplinary Council OGO consists of the four Technical Universities and the University of Groningen.
The meet-up provides new inspiration and encourages scientists to reflect on the field and their own contributions to it. Riemersma concludes: “Here we are planting the seeds for innovations that can make a difference in the built environment in the long and short term.”
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