This Cluster event has been a space for reflection on innovation, competitiveness and sustainability in the Habitat value chain, and once again stood out this year for the relevance of the topics addressed, which focused on the current challenges facing companies, cities and territories.
In addition to being a privileged moment for networking between Cluster members and various external entities, the Conference also provided a broad debate on the competitiveness challenges of the Habitat value chain and the growing demands for the sustainability of cities and territories, relevant topics in a context of increasing environmental, economic and social demands.
The opening session was led by Victor Ferreira (President of Cluster Habitat Sustentável) and Silvério Regalado (Secretary of State for Local Government and Spatial Planning).
The special guest to set the tone for the first panel was António Ramalho, manager and former CEO of Novo Banco, who shared a global perspective on the economic dynamics and challenges of the housing sector.
In order to gather different approaches from entities with diverse positions in the sectors involved, this panel dedicated to “Competitiveness challenges in the Habitat value chain” also featured contributions from Pedro Lopes (Director of Industrialisation at Grupo Casais), Rui Lourenço Pereira (Deputy Director of Commercial Management at AICEP), Duarte Mairos (Director of APPII), Jorge Girão (Director of Operations at Revigrés) and João Figueiredo (CEO of the Engineering, Construction and Wood Division at Carmo Wood).
The ensuing debate, moderated by José de Matos (Secretary-General of APCMC) and Victor Ferreira (President of Cluster Habitat Sustentável), raised issues ranging from internationalisation to the competitiveness factors of construction, real estate and product companies, to the valuation of forests as an economic asset and the prospects for addressing the current obstacles in the national and global markets.
In the afternoon, the second panel opened with guest speaker Alan Organschi, an internationally renowned architect, CEO of GOA (an architecture firm in New Haven, USA) and also a professor at Yale University, who shared his experience in integrating sustainability and innovation into urban and architectural projects.
Under the theme “Sustainability, Architecture and Cities”, the panel featured experts such as Helena Roseta (architect and former member of parliament), Paulo Reis Silva (architect and partner at Saraiva+Associados), Bárbara Fachada (architect at Grupo DST), Joana Fernandes (architect and researcher at IN+ at Instituto Superior Técnico) and Raquel Raimundo (head of the Sustainability Department at Civilria).
During the debate, moderated by Frederico Moura e Sá (Professor at the University of Aveiro) and Victor Ferreira (President of Cluster Habitat Sustentável), topics such as circularity, decarbonisation, sustainable land management and responses to housing shortages were discussed, providing a multidisciplinary and practical view of the paths towards a more balanced and sustainable urban future.
During the Conference, participants were also able to view more than 65 e-posters showcasing innovative solutions, products and projects developed by Cluster members, in a space for networking and knowledge sharing that fostered dialogue between the various players in the Habitat value chain.
The Cluster Habitat Sustentável Conference once again established itself as a space for the convergence of ideas and solutions, bringing together innovation, competitiveness and sustainability, and reinforcing the joint commitment of companies and other institutions to building a more sustainable and resilient future for Habitat.
Special thanks to our Gold sponsor, Civilria, and our Silver sponsors, CTCV, CERTIF and Saint-Gobain Portugal. The Cluster would also like to thank CCDRC and IAPMEI for their presence, entities that have played an important role in supporting national competitiveness clusters.
