A research idea developed within the Unite! alliance has earned top recognition in the latest Horizon EU competition. RE-GROWTH, a multidisciplinary initiative coordinated scientifically by Wrocław Tech, received the maximum score from European Commission evaluators.
With a budget of nearly €5 million, the project will officially begin in September 2026 and run for 36 months. Its goal is to develop a new generation of sustainable, biofabricated construction materials based on mycelium and moss, supporting Europe’s transition towards climate-resilient and environmentally responsible buildings.
The origins of REGROWTH are closely linked to Wrocław Tech’s participation in Unite!. The consortium began to take shape during the Unite! Dialogue meeting in Barcelona in February 2025, where vice-rectors responsible for international cooperation discussed opportunities for joint participation in European research calls.
Following these discussions, researchers from several Unite! universities joined forces to develop the proposal. Academic teams from Politecnico di Torino and partners connected through Grenoble INP-UGA became key contributors. Greek company DRAXIS Research Ventures—which holds an exceptional success rate in the Horizon Europe program—was invited to take on the role of project coordinator, helping to build a powerful, complementary consortium that eventually brought together 11 organisations from across Europe.
The project demonstrates how the Unite! alliance can transform networking and strategic dialogue into tangible research outcomes with European impact.
“RE-GROWTH is the best proof that European university alliances can be much more than platforms for exchanging experiences. Thanks to cooperation within Unite!, we were able to bring together researchers with complementary expertise from different countries and jointly develop a proposal that received the highest possible evaluation from the European Commission”
RE-GROWTH was inspired by challenges identified through collaboration between Wrocław Tech and the City of Wrocław within the framework of the Unite! Widening project. During consultations with city representatives, reducing the carbon footprint of building insulation emerged as a key priority.
The concept was further refined during workshops dedicated to the EU Mission on Climate Adaptation, bringing together researchers, representatives of the European Commission and experts from Poland’s National Contact Point.
By combining expertise in biotechnology, architecture, engineering and design, the interdisciplinary core team—led jointly by Prof. Barbara Widera’s New European Bauhaus team at the Faculty of Architecture and Prof. Katarzyna Chojnacka’s team at the Faculty of Chemistry—developed a proposal addressing both scientific challenges and the practical needs of cities facing climate change.
The project will focus on three groups of innovative bio-based materials:
Research activities will cover the entire innovation pathway, from co-creation with citizens and material development to durability testing, environmental assessment and the exploration of large-scale manufacturing methods using robotics, BIM technologies and artificial intelligence. The project aims to reach Technology Readiness Level 5 and pave the way for future large-scale deployment.
“Our project will combine biotechnology, architecture and engineering to create a new generation of materials that are safe, climate-resilient and simply beautiful. We want to demonstrate that nature-inspired solutions can become a viable alternative for the construction sector of the future.”
As co-coordinator of the project, Wrocław Tech will lead technical and innovation management activities, while also coordinating work related to the New European Bauhaus initiative.
One of the most visible outcomes of RE-GROWTH will be the creation of a Living Lab on the campus of Wrocław Tech. Located next to the Faculty of Architecture, the installation will serve as both a testing environment for new materials and an open platform for dialogue between researchers, students, residents and industry representatives.
The Living Lab will allow innovative solutions developed within RE-GROWTH to be assessed not only in laboratories but also in a real urban context, bringing sustainable construction concepts closer to the communities they are designed to serve.
