On June 23-24, the COLLECTiEF consortium gathered in Norway for our first face-to-face project General Assembly, marking the end of the first year of project implementation.
The meeting was hosted by our coordinator, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), at the United Future Lab offices in the Norwegian Maritime Competence Center building in Ålesund.
During the two-day meeting, the partners had the chance to finally connect in person after one year of online meetings and further strengthen our collaboration and team spirit.
DAY 1
On the first day, Work Packages leaders summarised the progress and milestones achieved in the past year and presented the upcoming activities and expected results for the following months. It was an excellent opportunity to review what has been done so far and exchange feedback and good practices, as well as jump into more technical discussions regarding the development and implementation of the COLLECTiEF solutions, our system of software and hardware components to smart-up existing buildings and their legacy equipment through easy and cost-efficient installation. All the partners actively engaged in the open Q&A sessions, creating a very productive and dynamic exchange and building the foundation for the seminars held on day 2.
DAY 2
On the second day of the General Assembly, partners split into different cluster groups according to their specific area of expertise and role in the project to review their tasks and commitments and start planning the next steps and actions. The upcoming months will be crucial for the success of the project, as we are getting ready to start the testing phase of the COLLECTiEF solutions in our pilot sites across Europe. During these workshops, partners had the chance to compare notes and fine-tune their strategies for a smooth rollout of the user-friendly Human-Building interface and the occupant-centric fusion sensor network in our 14 pilot buildings. We also focused on our exploitation activities and our strategy to strengthen our engagement with key stakeholders and relevant actors in the buildings and energy sector.
PILOTS VISIT
The day continued with a visit to two pilot buildings in Ålesund, Spjelkavik Ungdomsskole high school and Eidet Omsorgsenter health care center, where we could visit the classrooms, offices, and patient rooms where LSI Lastem’s SPHENSORS have been installed. Starting in July, we will begin collecting data on indoor environmental quality through our sensors and directly involve the occupants and users of the monitored rooms and spaces through post-occupancy evaluation (POE) questionnaires on their comfort level and overall satisfaction.
VISIT AT AUGMENTCITY
The General Assembly wrapped up with a visit to AugmentCity, an innovative technology company offering smart and sustainable solutions for urban development. Together with United Future Lab, AugmentCity makes it possible for politicians, industry, and citizens to simulate and visualize alternative solutions' consequences, helping them make better, more sustainable and responsible decisions.
A special thanks go to the NTNU team for their warm welcome in Ålesund and the excellent organisation and all the partners for their enthusiasm and precious contributions!
