Lack of collaboration between industry and educational institutions in the field of construction and Proptech results in a mismatch between what is taught by HEIs and VET providers and the skills needed in a rapidly changing market that demands specialisation in emerging professions. Companies have continued to innovate and build new solutions to solve the pressing problems related to climate change and efficiencies but sometimes these are not shown to students, who then feel disconnected between their education and the world around them.

APERTURE seeks to solve this problem by bringing curricula up to date with all that is state of the art within the building management, construction and smart building sectors. Sharing of ideas, and building innovation together could also breathe fresh life in areas which have been sorely abandoned to themselves like cleaning, housekeeping, disinfection and safety, which came under the spotlight recently due to COVID-19 pandemic but is still extremely traditional in its approaches.

APERTURE will therefore not only perform an analysis of the gaps in existing curricula and develop an online course and materials to renew education in this field, but will also launch a Proptech Business Incubator culminating a Business Plan Competition in which students are mentored and incentivised to apply the knowledge that they have gained to create innovative solutions to existing problems in a manner which can be commercialised and attract investment. Our consortium is composed of partners from 7 countries across Europe and includes a FinTech cluster of over 600 SMEs that will enable the roll out of APERTURE outputs and ensure the long-term sustainability and success of the Project.