Different approaches to assess sustainability goals are found in construction sector, mainly related to energy efficiency through building technology and high-tech components, to low-tech strategies based on passive planning methods, the use of renewable raw materials, and building certification programs, which, however, are mainly an evaluation of already built objects. Austrian construction industry is extremely fragmented and heterogeneous, making research, development and innovation an issue for companies. The core of this project is to bridge the specific gaps in knowledge within Viennese construction companies about sustainable architecture and respond to these urgent needs by developing a customized postgraduate course. Within the first phase of the project, team meetings, a workshop and an online survey were run to assess the state of knowledge of Viennese companies. By doing so, information deficits were identified, companies' need for knowledge was determined and topics to be transferred were raised.

Due to climate change, political and societal demands for the greening of the building sector are increasing. The use of regionally renewable building materials, such as wood, is recognised as one of the main strategies whose potential cannot be fully exploited due to the lack of specialised know-how in the building sector. The present project responds to this challenge through a cross-border cooperation between five European universities. The partnership aims to conduct strategic research on the conditions necessary for the design and construction of multi-storey timber buildings, and to develop guidelines and principles to align the demands of the building sector with current academic education. The transdisciplinary elective module, developed through three international workshops and combined with innovative teaching and learning methods such as problem-based learning (PBL) and integral planning, provides students with specialized training in timber design methods and prepares them for the global requirements and changing demands in the construction industry.

The application of industrialized timber in large-volume buildings is considered as one main strategy promoting sustainability in the construction sector. Austrian timber construction ecosystem is mainly conformed by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that are mostly limited to single and multiple housing projects and it is rarely represented in multi-storey buildings. Within a five days' workshop, 19 experts from research and practice including SMEs, discussed the challenges and potentials, and specially the implication of SMEs, by the completion of those, exchanging experiences and expertise. The workshop was inductive coded looking for factors affecting the design and construction process, in which seven categories were defined containing 33 overall concepts with 105 factors embedded. Further, a SWOT analysis was conducted, in which over half of all factors are conflicts, mostly related to the coordination of the team along the process, mainly caused by the lack of an integrated design approach. Highly positive rated are those aspects related to greater levels of prefabrication, while general rising awareness together with political support represent relevant opportunities, and common prejudices a threat. This overview of the sector may help further research to develop strategies focused on handling internal factors to exploit opportunities and minimize threats.