Over the past decades, sustainable construction has become one of the most significant professional and societal challenges facing the construction industry. This has created a growing demand for comprehensive, structured knowledge of the fundamental principles of sustainable building practices, as well as the global and regional trends shaping material development, structural design, and construction technologies.

Developed by UP FEIT, the educational programme provides both engineering students and industry professionals with a conceptual framework for integrating sustainability principles into modern construction practices.

The construction sector is one of the most resource- and energy-intensive industries worldwide and is responsible for a substantial share of greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, the quality of the built environment directly impacts quality of life, social well-being, and the resilience of economic and infrastructure systems.

As climate change accelerates, natural resources become increasingly scarce, and urban areas continue to expand, making a transformation of construction practices towards sustainability unavoidable. This transformation extends far beyond simply using “greener” materials; it requires rethinking the entire construction process, from design and manufacturing to operation and end-of-life management.

Low-carbon materials, energy-efficient structural solutions, and durable, resilient technologies all contribute to reducing environmental impacts. At the same time, sustainable construction supports circular economy principles, enhances the adaptability of buildings, and creates long-term social and economic benefits.

These considerations led to the establishment of a consortium of 13 partners from eight countries under the Interreg Danube Programme, including UP FEIT. The consortium aims to strengthen the innovation potential of SMEs operating in the Danube region by identifying, systematising, and disseminating new material technologies and solutions that help reduce risks and improve sustainability.

As part of this initiative, a specialised training programme has been developed to introduce companies to innovative materials and technologies that can make their operations more efficient, environmentally friendly, and profitable.

The English-language training material, developed by UP FEIT experts, will make its international debut when representatives of companies delegated by the project consortium partners arrive in Pécs to participate in the programme.

"The training focuses on the key drivers of sustainable development in the built environment, with particular emphasis on innovative solutions addressing the challenges of climate change, resource scarcity, and urbanisation. It highlights the role of material innovation, life-cycle performance assessment, and environmental impact analysis, while demonstrating the strategic importance of rehabilitation, modularity, industrialised and additive construction technologies, and circular design principles in creating a sustainable and resource-efficient built environment," explains Prof. Dr. Zoltán Orbán, Director of the Institute of Engineering and Smart Technologies at UP FEIT and editor of the educational material.

In the future, the programme will also be translated into Hungarian, integrated into the Faculty's materials and materials technology-related curricula, and made available to Hungarian SMEs.