For more than 20 years, the Architects’ Council of Europe has been a strategic partner in European Union–funded research and innovation. Through sustained engagement in programmes such as Horizon Europe, LIFE, Creative Europe, Erasmus+ and Interreg, ACE connects architectural practice with Europe’s leading research agendas and policy priorities.
By bringing the voice of Europe’s architects into projects addressing climate change, urban resilience, digital transformation and social inclusion, ACE helps turn research into real-world impact. Acting as both project partner and knowledge broker, ACE ensures that innovation informs professional practice and evidence-based policymaking.
“Through these efforts, the Architects’ Council of Europe will continue to position architects not just as implementers of change, but as leaders and innovators driving Europe’s transition to a sustainable, inclusive and culturally rich future. The following chapters in this publication present ACE’s past and current project portfolio, highlight the innovative practices and policy impacts they have generated and present their value to both the profession and society at large. From climate positive communities to heritage preservation powered by digital tools, these initiatives confirm that innovation is a vital driver of architectural excellence – and that ACE’s role in connecting research, policy and practice is indispensable to shaping the built environment Europe needs.” Dubravko Bačic, Past ACE Executive Board Member, Research & Development Coordinator
“As we refine the sensitivity to contemporary issues of climate change, housing crises, pressures of migration, enormous man-made disasters, our response must be to keep articulating how our skills, knowledge and competence can utilise available resources to envision, design and make our space liveable, safe, with dignity, prosperity, inclusivity, pride, joy and identity. This booklet gives us an added confidence that the EU funded research and innovation projects are for us to choose with measured confidence and enthusiasm”. Selma Harrington, Chair, ACE EU Projects Workgroup; Past President
“For ACE this process is far more than a funding opportunity – it is a direct way to influence European research agendas so that they address issues that are central to architectural practice. By participating from the outset, ACE ensures that architectural perspectives shape research questions, methodologies and expected outcomes. This means that project results can directly feed into ACE’s advocacy on policy priorities such as high-quality architecture, sustainable and responsible design, the cultural values of Baukultur and the professional capacity needed for Europe’s green and digital transitions”. Larissa De Rosso, EU Funding & Projects Manager
Download the publication to explore how 20 years of EU-funded collaboration have strengthened architectural practice, informed policy and contributed to a better built environment across Europe.
