Objective of the call
The AMALTEA 2nd Open Call supports SMEs and start-ups developing innovative software, hardware and robotic solutions for sustainable construction, with a particular focus on the curtain-wall façade value chain.
The call aims to improve façade design, manufacturing, installation and recycling through artificial intelligence, digital twins, robotics and data-driven technologies. Proposed solutions should help reduce material waste, energy consumption and costs while improving safety, quality and operational efficiency.
Selected companies will receive funding, technical mentoring, business support and access to industrial and construction pilot environments across Europe.
Scope of activities
The call supports the development, integration, testing and validation of innovative software and hardware solutions for the curtain-wall façade value chain. Each proposal must address one of the following challenges.
Challenge 1: IFC Extraction to Inform Parametric Façade Design Modelling
Develop a system that automatically extracts geometric and spatial parameters from IFC building models and converts them into structured inputs for parametric façade design. Outputs should be accurate, traceable to the original IFC elements and compatible with the design workflow.
Challenge 2: Real-Time Manufacturing Process Intelligence for the Extended Digital Twin
Develop a manufacturing intelligence extension linking component identifiers with live production data, welding and bonding records, inspection results, rework and waste events. The solution should provide traceable component histories and synchronise them with AMALTEA’s extended digital twin.
Challenge 3: Building the Data Foundation for Robotic Process AI
Collect, harmonise and curate datasets for robotic laser welding and adhesive dispensing. Solutions should support model pre-training and transfer learning using external, synthetic or experimental data, reducing dependence on costly physical trials and limited project datasets.
Challenge 4: CAD-Free Adaptive Silicone Application
Develop a robotic silicone-dispensing solution that identifies actual component geometry through vision or profile sensing without relying on an accurate CAD reference. The system should monitor bead width, height and continuity in real time and adjust dispensing parameters and robot speed.
Challenge 5: Risk Assessment and Safety Validation in Shared Human-Robot Environments
Develop safety assessment frameworks and validation methods for collaborative façade installation. Solutions should address changing site geometry, weather, surface conditions and worker proximity, while supporting compliance with relevant standards and construction safety requirements.
Challenge 6: Material Traceability & Waste/Carbon Dashboard
Develop a traceability pipeline connecting material batches with cutting, welding, bonding, inspection and dispatch records. Build a dashboard showing material consumption, waste, quality-related losses, reuse and recovery rates, energy use and embodied carbon, with traceability back to individual manufacturing events.
Challenge 7: Autonomous Calibration Strategies for Multi-Axis Robotic Fabrication Cells
Develop autonomous calibration routines for fabrication cells combining gantries, robotic arms, interchangeable tools and 3D sensors. Solutions should identify calibration needs, compensate for drift and perform tool and sensor calibration with minimal manual intervention.
Challenge 8: Smart Interaction Interfaces for Human-Guided Robotic Manufacturing
Develop intuitive interfaces enabling operators to guide, supervise and collaborate with robots during façade manufacturing. Solutions may use augmented reality, gesture recognition or adaptive task delegation to simplify programming and improve usability, safety and efficiency.
Challenge 9: Optimization of Multi-End-Effector Systems for Robotic Façade Installation
Improve robotic end-effectors used for panel handling, anchor manipulation and fastening. Solutions should enhance design, sensing, reliability and operational accuracy while maintaining compatibility with AMALTEA’s PLC–ROS 2 control architecture.
Challenge 10: Curtain Wall Handling and Pre-Positioning System
Develop an automated system that safely extracts, tilts and moves façade panels from transport racks into the position and orientation required for crane pick-up and subsequent robotic installation.
Challenge 11: Enhance Industrial Crane Communication and ROS 2 Integration
Study and validate communication interfaces between industrial cranes and ROS 2-based robotic systems. Solutions should enable reliable, low-latency exchange of commands, sensor data and crane status while addressing real-time and safety requirements.
Challenge 12: Configurable Simulation Framework for Robotic Installation
Develop a configurable workflow that converts heterogeneous CAD, BIM/IFC and component data into consistent MuJoCo simulation environments. The solution should support different robots, end-effectors and building geometries while reusing existing simulation logic and control strategies.
Challenge 13: Digital Product Passport for Circular Façade Components
Develop an interoperable Digital Product Passport for façade modules, subcomponents and recovered materials. The passport should preserve information on composition, origin, manufacturing, installation, maintenance, disassembly and recovery, with links to AMALTEA’s digital twin and traceability identifiers.
Challenge 14: Labelled VSWIR Material and Defect Database for AI Training
Create a curated and labelled visible-to-short-wave-infrared imaging dataset covering façade materials and their defects. The database should include verified annotations, acquisition metadata, clear reuse rights and a reproducible baseline AI-training workflow.
Challenge 15: In-Situ Material Condition Classification through VSWIR Machine Vision
Develop a portable inspection system combining VSWIR imaging and AI to classify material condition, locate defects and identify uncertain cases requiring expert review. The solution should generate component-linked condition reports to support on-site reuse, sorting and recovery decisions.
Funding instruments
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Software Solutions for Façade Applications: Challenges 1, 2, 6, 12, 13 and 14; grants of up to €100,000 and a 9-month support programme.
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Hardware Solutions for Façade Applications: Challenges 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 15; grants of up to €200,000 and a 12-month support programme.
Proposed solutions must be compatible with AMALTEA’s digital tools and demonstrate how they will integrate through appropriate interfaces, APIs, middleware or data models. Projects must build on existing technologies at TRL 3–5 and aim to reach TRL 6–7 through development, integration and validation in relevant pilot environments.
Eligible applicants
The call is open to individual SMEs, including start-ups, established in:
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EU Member States and their Overseas Countries and Territories; or
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Countries associated with Horizon Europe, subject to the call’s eligibility rules.
Applicants must be registered as legal entities no later than 27 January 2027 and meet the EU SME definition.
The call particularly targets technology developers working in AI, robotics, digital twins, BIM, computer vision, sensor integration, automation and human–machine interaction.
Applications are submitted by a single eligible entity. AMALTEA consortium partners, their affiliated entities and employees cannot apply.
Applicants may submit up to three proposals, each addressing a different challenge. However, each applicant can receive funding for only one project. If multiple proposals are submitted for the same challenge, only the last submission will be evaluated.
Funding conditions
Two funding instruments are available:
| Funding instrument |
Maximum grant per project |
Programme duration |
| Software Solutions for Façade Applications |
€100,000 |
9 months |
| Hardware Solutions for Façade Applications |
€200,000 |
12 months |
Total budget for the second open call: up to €2.5 million.
Funding rate:
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Up to 70% of the total project budget for for-profit beneficiaries, requiring at least 30% self-financing.
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Up to 100% for eligible non-profit legal entities, subject to the same grant ceilings and all applicant eligibility requirements.
Funding is provided as a lump sum, with payments linked to the successful completion of agreed milestones and deliverables.
Supported activities include proof-of-concept or prototype development, solution development, integration, testing and validation. Selected companies will also prepare an Individual Mentoring Plan and receive technical and business support.
The guide allows a delayed-payment mechanism under which 20% of the awarded grant may be retained until after completion of the overall AMALTEA project, as specified in the Sub-grant Agreement.
Depending on the challenge and project requirements, developed solutions may need to be made available as open source within the AMALTEA ecosystem.
Deadline for submission
27 January 2027