BIG INNOVATION PITCH

tepeo was crowned as this year's winner of the Big Innovations Pitch

The search was on at Futurebuild 2023 for the newest and brightest solutions to an array of built environment challenges. The Big Innovation Pitch was back in action at Futurebuild 2023 and was where the industry’s most exciting innovators battled it out to showcase their latest game-changing innovations and revolutionary ideas in front of a live audience.

A shortlist of six innovations including tepeo, Honext, PASS, GreenBlue Urban, armacell & Waterfilled Glass all pitched live in front of the industry’s top architects, housebuilders and investors at Futurebuild 2023. A panel of expert judges, led by Dr Oliver Jones, Research and Innovation Director at Ryder Architecture selected this year’s winner.

The winner of the Big Innovation Pitch 2023 was tepeo with their Zero Emissions Boiler (ZEB).

The JUDGES

CHAIR & JUDGE
DR OLIVER JONES

Research Director at Ryder Architecture

Michael LYNCH

Legal Counsel, Restructuring, at NatWest Group

NATASHA BOULDING

CEO & Co-founder at Sphera

CHRIS HALL

Group Managing Director of Acivico and Managing Director of APSL Group

BIG INNOVATION PITCH CRITERIA

Big Innovation Pitch entries must demonstrate the criteria below

How is it innovative? Clearly state why the product is innovative.
How does it support the drive to net zero?
Does it support the circular economy?
Does is support planetary health?
Is the innovation extractive or regenerative?
How’s it going to change the industry?
Please give specific details of any life cycle assessments or emission reduction statistics you have achieved.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Conference Programme

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March 7, 2023 March 8, 2023 March 9, 2023

Opening keynote address: Sarwjit Sambhi, Chief Executive, St Modwen
10:30 am - 10:45 am

- Arena Conference Programme Sponsored by SNRG & Hub Brussels

Sarwjit Sambhi, St Modwen

Big Energy Debate: 100% renewables are needed to reduce global heating
10:45 am - 11:45 am

- Arena Conference Programme Sponsored by SNRG & Hub Brussels

Fiona Harvey, The Guardian

Helena Rivers, IMechE

Libby Peake, Green Alliance

Paul Ekins, UCL

Sam Gardner, Scottish Power

Facing Challenges: Learning lessons, being prepared
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

- Arena Conference Programme Sponsored by SNRG & Hub Brussels

Brooke Rogers OBE, King's College London

Fiona Harvey, The Guardian

Professor Paul Ruyssevelt, UCL

Activism: Act now, or face extinction
1:15 pm - 2:00 pm

- Arena Conference Programme Sponsored by SNRG & Hub Brussels

Amy McDonnell, Zero Hour

Ben Goldsmith, CEN

Kat Scott, dRMM Architects

Sara Edmonds, Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN)

Smith Mordak, Buro Happold

Wise Heads: How can we scale best practice in the planning system to create resilient communities
2:15 pm - 3:15 pm

- Arena Conference Programme Sponsored by SNRG & Hub Brussels

Henry Cleary OBE, Central Bedfordshire Infrastructure and Development Board

Jenny Raggett, Transport for New Homes

Olafiyin Taiwo, MRTPI, UCL

Steve Quartermain CBE, Quartermain

Sue Riddlestone OBE, Bioregional

Futurebuild debate: Rebuild or Retrofit: Planning and Whole Life Carbon
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm

- Arena Conference Programme Sponsored by SNRG & Hub Brussels

Estelle Dehon, Cornerstone Barristers

Isabel Allen, Architecture Today

Jack Conroy, Savills

Jo Bacon, Allies and Morrison

Peter Fisher, Bennetts Associates

Architecture Today Award Finalists presentations
4:45 pm - 5:45 pm

- Arena Conference Programme Sponsored by SNRG & Hub Brussels

Ben Heath, Grimshaw Architects

Ian Bogle, Bogle Architects

Isabel Allen, Architecture Today

John McRae, Orms Architects

Sunand Prasad, Penoyre & Prasad

The Retrofit Academy Awards
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

- Arena Conference Programme Sponsored by SNRG & Hub Brussels

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2022 BIG INNOVATION PITCH WINNER

Thermino thermal storage battery for domestic hot water

Sunamp’s Thermino thermal batteries make homes more energy-efficient and sustainable by efficiently storing heat to deliver instant, high flow-rate hot water when needed while reducing carbon emissions.

Find out more

2023 BIG INNOVATION PITCH SHORTLIST

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BIG INNOVATION PITCH: Zero Emission Boiler

Zero Emission Boiler ZEB

The Zero Emission Boiler (ZEB®) is a plug-n-play replacement for your existing boiler (gas, oil, lpg, or electric) which works with your hot water tank to deliver low carbon & low cost heating just like your current boiler.

FIND OUT MORE

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BIG INNOVATION PITCH: honext

Honext boards

HONEXT® boards are carbon-negative and flame retardant, leading the way in circular construction. HONEXT® boards are made using a bio-based process, are not toxic, are low emission, and are recyclable when they reach the end of their useful life.

FIND OUT MORE

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BIG INNOVATION PITCH: Teledyne Flir One Edge pro wireless thermal camera

Teledyne Flir One Edge pro wireless thermal camera

The FLIR One Edge Pro is a handy inspection tool to use with your smart device to help identify areas for further investigation around the whole envelope of your building. Use it as you would a conventional thermal imaging camera to find areas of missing insulation, damp, water ingress, over-heating components, plumbing blockages and much more. It’s slick compact design will fit into your pocket to keep handy for any impromptu inspections.

Find out more

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BIG INNOVATION PITCH: HYDROPLANTER

HYDROPLANTER

This is a ‘plug and play’ sustainable urban drainage solution (SUDs) that can attenuate and cleanse storm water and provide amenity and biodiversity to new and existing spaces. The modules will be filled with a particular soil specification and planted wildflowers and biodiverse grasses.

Find out more

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BIG INNOVATION PITCH: Armagel HTL

Armagel HTL

Armacell offers a range of aerogel blankets, depending on your applications – from cryogenic to temperatures of up to 650°C (1200°F). ArmaGel HTL is the perfect solution for the construction industry, as it combines advanced insulation with fire protection. Infinitely malleable, the unfaced sheets can be used in doors, hard-to-treat walls, shutters and windows. Up to five times better thermal performance than competing insulation materials, it’s a cost-effective and easy-to-install solution that saves space and protects assets.

Find out more

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BIG INNOVATION PITCH: water-filled glass

water-filled glass panels

WFG panels are using water to absorb energy which flows to the mechanical system, making the window an effective solar collector.

Find out more

EPISODE TWO

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In this episode, you can listen to Maria Smith, Director of Sustainability & Physics at Buro Happold in conversation with Martin Hurn and Dr Oliver Jones. Maria talks through the ten key principles from the latest publication from the RIBA and Architects Declare and shares their opinion on why the built environment has the capability to accelerate our delivery of a net zero future and what we need to do next.

pioneers, disruptors & Innovators

Tune in to FutureX

Tune in to the FutureX series of podcasts and hear Martin Hurn and Dr Oliver Jones in conversation with the brightest minds, the disruptive thinkers and most exciting innovators.

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JOIN THE BIG INNOVATION PITCH ON THE MAIN ARENA STAGE: 02 MARCH FROM 16.30 - 17.15

Exhibitor enquiry

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Speak to a member of the team to enquire about exhibiting at Futurebuild 2023.

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On Demand

Watch on-demand

Futurebuild 2022 is now available on demand. Relive the content from this year and hear from industry experts and leading associations.

WATCH ON-DEMAND

It’s been an extremely well attended show and the second day was extremely busy. It’s been great to get back to the event and meet with our customers and clients to show them about what’s happening in the future for us. There’s been a good customer mix to the stand and we’ve also seen end-users interested in the technology that’s started conversations and given them a vision for the future.

We’ve had a lot of interest in the stand, both with businesses and private individuals. In general, it’s been a very positive show and we already booked for next year while at the show.

We’ve had a lot of very focused conversations at Futurebuild, which is fantastic to see at a show that promotes net zero and champions everything about sustainability. We’ve seen a mix of people to come to the stand, including students, which has been heart-warming for the industry. We also work principally with large asset owners, so we’ve had great conversations with teams in this area.

We came to Futurebuild for a number of reasons. One is collaboration — we’ve been out for two years because of the pandemic so we’ve got a chance to see people face to face and see how passionate they are about certain topics in the industry.

Futurebuild has a really interesting mix of innovators and very traditional building materials companies, so it’s a really good show for us as a data analytics expert in the industry. Aico is traditionally known as a fire alarm sensor manufacturer, so we’ve come to the show to raise awareness that we do operate in this area and we are using sensors to collect data about the environment, such as how heating systems work.

Futurebuild has been great. We’ve found that the exhibits have drawn relevant high-quality visitors to the stand who had some really great questions. This is when we have to take action. It’s important for us to show what’s happening right now and what the industry is working on that lets us deliver net zero and decarbonised concrete.

The show has been very good and busy, and we’ve met different profiles of people each day — for example on day two we met a lot of installers who are involved in the trade. We have a spread of technologies on the stand, which have all been busy, so we’ve been able to talk across a range of topics, such as batteries, PV and heat pumps. It’s a nice statement of people’s journeys towards net zero.

After two years of us being away, it’s been a fantastic event. Our company is just moving to the UK, so we’ve made a large impact with hundreds of leads and dozens of connections. If you’re a company in the UK and are the cutting edge of the green tech revolution, you really need to be at Futurebuild 2023.

It’s our first time at Futurebuild and it’s been absolutely fantastic — we haven’t stopped. We’re a new company and it was our first exhibit, so it’s been great to meet people from every side. Every day has been different and we’ve had a lot of conversations, for example with architects on classification and regulation, as well as hemp farmers visiting to find out more about sustainability. The event shows that change can happen.

Futurebuild has been really busy, and we’ve had a constant flow of really good enquiries on the stand — we’ve already booked for next year. We’ve had a wide range of visitors, including cladding installers, architects, lecturers, developers who build traditionally who are now looking at building in different ways.

The buzz and the footfall here is really good. We’ve had a lot of positive conversations as a lot of attendees are early on in the design stage so want to get information from us.