Building Sustainably

Cities today account for more than 70% of greenhouse gas emissions. Buildings alone account for 44% of all energy consumption. Following up on the breakthroughs made during COP21, the building sector is a priority target for France’s Energy Transition Law which came into force in 2015.

France aims to reduce energy consumption in the building sector by 28% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality for the buildings stock by 2050. The construction of low-consumption buildings has been a standard enforced since 2012; construction of energy-plus homes is to become the norm by 2021. 

Inventing the Future of Construction with Smart Buildings

Paris Region is home to a thriving ecosystem of construction majors, energy specialists, IT giants, and developers leading the industry into the future.

In a recent study conducted by CBRE, the world leader in real estate consulting, 46% of companies renting offices in the Region said they were prepared to spend at least 10% more on rent for a smarter building.

In response, the industry players are reconsidering the efficiency of their construction sites. By implementing connected technologies and breakthrough solutions the competitiveness and performance of the sites are bound to improve. Under their influence, construction is becoming more affordable, efficient, and sustainable for everyone.

An Overview of the Construction & Smart Building Ecosystem

More than 90% of the players in the construction and smart building industry are in Paris Region.

Manufacturers

Manufacturers such as Schneider Electric, Siemens and Hager all offer, install and operate a wide range of technical solutions within the industry. The increasing collaboration required by smart building projects represents a great opportunity for international manufacturers to come up with technical solutions that are open and flexible.

Construction companies

Major players such as GA Smart Building, Bouygues and Vinci have a strong culture of innovation. They are eager to scout and integrate innovative solutions into their products and thus offer a range of smart building & construction solutions that ultimately benefit the end-users.

Energy Providers

Energy providers contribute to smart building and energy management platforms. Groups such as EDF, Engie and Total Direct Energie, frequently acquire some of the most promising start-ups in their field and are looking for innovative start-ups to develop partnerships.

IT Giants

The digital giants provide equipment manufacturers, construction companies and energy providers with key digital technologies and connectivity features, such as cloud services, Internet of Things and big data, that are required by construction and smart building projects.

A Dynamic Market Calling for Innovators From All Horizons

As the whole industry evolves to embrace innovation, be more flexible, efficient and sustainable, many opportunities are opening up for international companies in the following fields:

Building Information Modelling (BIM) - In France BIM is currently growing at a rate of 10-15% per year, with an adoption rate by businesses of over 35%. This trend is largely driven by public procurement, which affirms the government’s commitment to promote this type of collaborative methodology.

Sensors - Data collection is at the heart of the digital transformation of buildings. It is estimated that there will be 80 billion connected devices in the world by 2025, which will be central to the Smart Building ecosystem.

Maintenance – Together with daily operations, maintenance accounts for 75% of overall costs in the lifecycle of a building. There is a great opportunity for solutions which reduce the maintenance and operating costs.

Energy Efficiency – Innovative solutions that help manage and save energy in new and existing buildings are at the core of the Smart Building industry.

Safety and Security – Innovative Solutions offered in new constructions add value to the end-users of buildings. A surge in demand for technology providing a contactless experience can be expected in the months and years to come.

Accelerators to Support Your Growth in Paris Region

Leonard is an innovation entity initiated by VINCI, a major player in the construction and concession agreement industries. VINCI designs, finances, builds, and manages infrastructures and facilities. The Leonard platform explores foresight scenarios for towns and infrastructures of the future. Learn More.

S’lab is a business accelerator supporting startups that have innovative products and services to offer regarding urban planning, smart cities and the future of work. S’lab gives selected start-ups a unique access to Paris La Defense, the biggest business district in Europe, to experiment their solutions in a diverse and vibrant setting. Learn More.

DATACITY Paris – NUMA is an open innovation program co-organized by startup accelerator NUMA and the City of Paris. The program allows local and international startups to work on challenges put forward by the city and industrial partners by using data that is unprecedented in quality and quantity. Learn More.

CSTB’Lab - The Scientific and Technical Center for Building (CSTB) is a public organization whose main mission is to promote innovation in the construction industry. The CSTB'Lab is an accelerator encouraging the development of new products and services in response to the main scientific and technical challenges of energy, environmental performance, health and accessibility. Learn More.

UrbanLab is a platform within Paris&Co, the innovation and economic development agency of the Paris metropolitan area. The mission of Urban Lab is to organize, coach and promote urban experimentation projects throughout the Paris Metropolitan Area, especially on projects related to the circular economy, real estate, logistics and mobility sectors. Learn More.

Sekoya, aims to identify and promote the most innovative solutions enabling the emergence of sustainable cities and infrastructures. It also deploys innovations and participates in improving the residents’ quality of life. This carbon & climate platform associates large groups, SMEs and startups with low carbon technical solutions. Learn More.

Plug and Play innovation platform, bringing together the startups and the world’s largest corporations. The Smart Cities program brings together all key players in the global value chain, from real estate developers, to automation solution manufacturers, to energy providers and more. Our industry vision relies on four main pillars. Learn More.

50 Partners Impact is a French startup accelerator for the most ambitious positive impact businesses. We work with Impact startups to scale environmental and social centred solutions. 50 Partners Impact accelerate businesses that bring a direct response to one or several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs as defined by the UN). Learn More.

Impulse Labs is an accelerator that was developed to act as a bridge between large corporate groups and startups so they can learn from each other and develop win-win relationships. Corporate groups specify their needs while ecosystem startups promote, commercialize, and give exposure to their innovations. Impulse Labs focus mainly on the construction, real estate and energy industries. Learn More. 

Construction & Smart Building Events in Paris Region 

Bim World, October, Paris - BIM World is the world's leading event for digital solutions and services in the construction, real estate and urban planning fields. Learn More.

Batimat, November, Paris - Batimat is the trade show for the construction sector and the perfect opportunity to discover a record number of world-exclusive innovations, take part in inspiring conference sessions and attend workshops. Learn More.

Viva Technology, June, Paris - Viva Technology, or VivaTech, is an annual technology conference, centered around innovation. Learn More.