The 6th edition of the Building Digital Twin International Congress brought together approximately 100 participants from 19 countries for two days of keynotes, expert talks, and hands-on workshops at the heart of Europe.
Brussels, 26–28 May 2026 · Thon Hotel Bristol Stéphanie & FARI Institute · Co-organised by BDTA & ECTP
The Building Digital Twin International Congress (BDTIC) came to Brussels for its sixth edition, firmly establishing itself as the premier European forum for digital twin innovation in the built environment. Co-organised by the Building Digital Twin Association (BDTA) and the European Construction Technology Platform (ECTP), BDTIC 2026 delivered a rich three-day programme of keynotes, thematic sessions, and specialised workshops — uniting researchers, industry leaders, policymakers, and technology innovators from across 19 countries and 79 organisations.
~100
Participants
19
Countries represented
79
Organisations
Three Days at the Heart of Europe's Digital Built Environment
The event unfolded across two venues over three days. Tuesday 26 May opened with the ECTP Conference at the Thon Hotel Bristol Stéphanie, including an evening gala dinner. Wednesday 27 May saw the ECTP programme conclude in the morning, before the BDTA kicked off its own agenda in the afternoon with pre-congress workshops held at the FARI – AI for the Common Good Institute (Cantersteen 16, Brussels), exclusively for BDTA members and invited guests. The evening brought a joint BDTA–ECTP networking cocktail. Thursday 28 May was the main BDTIC congress day, back at the Thon Hotel Bristol Stéphanie, with a full morning of plenary sessions followed by parallel afternoon workshops and rounded off by the BDTA Social Dinner.
“BDTIC 2026 confirmed that the digital twin community in Europe is maturing — the conversations are moving from ‘what is possible?’ to ‘how do we scale, standardise, and govern it at European level?’”
Keynotes, Sessions & Speakers
The congress programme on 28 May was structured around two thematic sessions, bookended by an opening from BDTA President Eduard Loscos and closing remarks from Peter Imbrechts (NEANEX / BDTA).
Session 1 — Using DBPs & DPPs as Enablers of Digital Twins in the Built Environment
| Speaker | Organisation | Presentation |
|---|---|---|
| Eduard Loscos | BDTAPresident | Opening BDTIC Official Opening Session |
| Lars Christian Fredenlund | Lachmus | Keynote Digital Product Passports in Construction: The Road Ahead |
| Oscar Nieto Sanz | DG GROW, European Commission | Keynote Trustworthy AI Engineering |
| Dr. Volker Krieger | BonsaiBIM | Talk Digital Twins in FOSS Environment |
| Emre Yöntem | EcoWise | Talk DPP and DBL Convergence |
| Eleanor Clement | NUAR | Talk Utilities Digital Twins: Mirroring the Urban Underground |
| Arghavan Akbarieh | TU Eindhoven | Talk EC³ Modelling and Standards Open Platforms Supporting Digital Twins |
| Christopher-Robin Raitviir | Tallinn Strategic Management Office | Talk Starting with the End in Mind: Asset Digital Twin as a Driver of Lifecycle BI |
| Marco Barbagelata | STAM | Talk PROBONO Project |
Session 2 — Vertical Aggregation: Pushing the Boundaries of Asset Digital Twins
| Speaker | Organisation | Presentation |
|---|---|---|
| Antonio Kung | TRIALOG | Keynote Standardisation in Digital Twins in JTC1 |
| Øivind Rooth | CEN TC442 & ISO TC59/SC13 | Keynote Standardisation in Building Information Modeling in CEN and ISO |
| João Luiz Rebelo Moreira | University of Twente | Talk Interoperability for Digital Twins |
| Eloi Coloma Picó | UPC | Talk The Data Ecosystem of Public Facilities |
| Gokhan Ertaylan | VITO | Talk Cross-Domain Digital Twins in Practice: Connecting Buildings, Occupants, and Health |
| Salvatore Cataldi | BELIMO Automation AG | Talk Digital Twins Are Not Enough: Who Owns, Understands, and Uses Building Data? |
| Calin Boje | LIST | Talk Urban Digital Twins – National Digital Twin Luxembourg |
| Nicolas Rebierre | Trustworthy AI Association | Talk Trustworthy AI Engineering |
| Peter Imbrechts | NEANEX / BDTA | Closing Conclusions and Closing |
Workshops
Alongside the plenary programme, a total of five workshops provided in-depth, working-group-style engagement — two pre-congress sessions on 27 May (by invitation for BDTA members) at the FARI Institute, and three open workshops on 28 May at the Thon Hotel.
Pre-Congress Workshops — 27 May, FARI Institute
27 May · 14:00–16:30
Ontologies & Semantics for Building Digital Twins
Led by Bram Bazuin — Semmtech
27 May · 14:00–16:30
Future Standardisation of Digital Building Permits
Led by Christopher-Robin Raitviir — Tallinn University of Technology
Congress Workshops — 28 May, Thon Hotel
28 May · 15:00–17:30
EU Green Deal Results: PROBONO, ARV & oPEN Lab
Led by Marco Barbagelata — STAM
and Edgar Valverde — PNO Innovations
28 May · 15:00–17:30
CWA: Future Standards in Building Simulations using ADTw & Hycool-IT SIMBOTs
Led by Pablo Vicente Legazpi — BDTA
Sponsored by HYCOOL-IT28 May · 15:00–17:30
EIC Portfolio: How to Generate a SIMBOT? — DYMAN Project
Led by Tamara Fanjul — Bureau Veritas
and Paula de Miguel — BDTA
Our Sponsors & Collaborators
BDTIC 2026 would not have been possible without the generous support of its sponsors and collaborating organisations. We extend our sincere gratitude to all of them.
Platinum Event Sponsor
Gold Workshop Sponsors
Workshop: HYCOOL-IT SIMBOTs & Building Simulations
Hycool-IT (R2M)
Workshop: EIC Portfolio & DYMAN Project
Dyman (Bureau Veritas / IDP)
Workshop: EU Green Deal Results
Probono Green Deal (STAM)
Silver Networking Cocktail Co-Sponsor
Supporting Sponsors
Collaborators
Strong Ecosystem Engagement & EU Alignment
One of the hallmarks of BDTIC 2026 was the breadth and diversity of its community — 79 organisations spanning industry, academia, and the public sector across 19 countries. The programme’s strong alignment with EU digitalisation and sustainability priorities — including the Green Deal, Digital Product Passports, Digital Building Permits, and the European Data and AI Acts — reinforced BDTA’s role as a relevant voice in shaping European policy and standards for the built environment.
The joint BDTA–ECTP networking cocktail on the evening of 27 May created a particularly valued space for cross-community exchange, bringing together participants from the broader European construction and digitalisation ecosystem.
Looking Ahead
BDTIC 2026 marks a turning point: from a successful annual congress to the foundation of a flagship, scalable European platform for digital twin leadership.
The next edition is already confirmed: BDTIC 2027 will take place in Barcelona on 21–22 April (venue to be confirmed). Early programme themes — including AI, IoT, robotics, Digital Product Passports, and SIMBOTs — are already being shaped. If you are interested in speaking, sponsoring, or partnering on a workshop, reach out at info@buildingdigitaltwin.org.
Stay connected with BDTA on LinkedIn and visit buildingdigitaltwin.org for updates.
And don’t miss the upcoming SASBE / FUTUREROADS / Building Digital Twin Scientific Conference joint event — 22–24 July 2026, organised with the University of Cambridge. More information here.
A warm thank you to every speaker, sponsor, collaborator, and attendee who made BDTIC 2026 possible. See you at the next edition.
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