In our March industry news digest, we talk about a Croatian decarbonisation plan of the building sector and a remarkable Italian debate on deductible expenses for an eco-bonus. We also take a look at Arkance’s latest BIM-software acquisition and a successful augmented reality school project in the Netherlands.
The Croatian Green Building Council has launched a large-scale campaign to fully decarbonise the building sector. #BuildingLife is a multi-year campaign, aimed at implementing an ambitious European Green Plan. The goal is to create strong sustainability measures, while focusing on economic prosperity and maintaining common standards of excellence. The launch of #BuildingLife marks the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Paris Agreement, a legally binding international deal to turn climate change around.
As part of #BuildingLife, the Croatian Green Building Council will bring together representatives from across the sector to produce a science-based and industry-backed national decarbonisation roadmap for the built environment. #BuildingLife aims to achieve the mix of private sector action and public policy necessary to tackle the whole-life impact of buildings.
The construction sector is known to have a big environmental impact. Through intense collaboration between private and public sectors, the #BuildingLife campaign is determined to influence European policies, leading to the change that is needed to limit that impact to an absolute minimum. Read the full story
here.
Debate on deductible expense for eco-bonus rises in Italy
With lockdowns keeping us all at home, many people decided to start renovating their homes over the past twelve months. The Italian government signed an eco-bonus Decree last year that will hopefully motivate renovating Italians to choose eco-friendly solutions.
The Ministerial Decree of August 6th 2020 introduced technical demands for an Eco-bonus and a new installation ceiling for windows and sun screens. The final lines of the Decree have caused a growing debate among accountants. These lines indicate that costs are considered net of VAT, professional services and complementary works relating to the installation and implementation of technologies. The big question is: what exactly is included in the terms ‘professional services’ and ‘complementary works’? Read on
here.
BIM software designer Agacad joins European leader Arkance
Digital transformation is one of the construction sector’s main challenges today. Arkance Systems, which is part of the French Groupe Monnoyeur, is the rapidly growing leader in the European market of Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Building Information Modeling (BIM). As part of an ambitious growth strategy, the company recently announced the acquisition of Agacad, a Lithuanian manufacturer of building information modeling and management technology. The Agacad software is currently being used by 13,000 BIM professionals in 130 countries.
“Agacad has proven its ability to develop world-class innovative digital technologies that offer new opportunities and great productivity gains for the construction and manufacturing industries. We are delighted to be able to use this knowledge to support our customers in their digital journey”, says Gregoire Arranz, President of the Management Board of Arkance.
Founded 30 years ago, Agacad can be seen as a pioneer of digital technologies for the construction industry. “Joining the Arkance group gives us the means to fully implement our vision of creating solutions for the construction industry”, says Agacad president Donatas Aksomitas. “This will allow us to service current Agacad customers on five continents even more efficiently.” Read the full article
here.
AR helps students to discover technology
With the National Technology Day in the Netherlands postponed because of the covid pandemic, organisers of the event had to be creative to give students a corona-proof alternative. The solution: augmented reality. It turned out that AR was a perfect way to introduce young people across the country to the world of technology.
Practical school projects and visits to technology companies are out of the question for now. But thanks to AR, which adds a virtual layer to reality, it’s perfectly possible to bring robots and machines into a student’s room via a tablet or mobile phone. “AR technology allows us to project animations or objects into the reality of their homes, so they can see them, hear them and walk around them”, says organizer Marjorie Woudenberg. “We want to get these young people in touch with the wonders of technology. If it can’t happen at school, we‘ll simply do it in their own homes.” Read more
here.
