CSTO2NE PODCAST SERIES: ECO-INNOVATION BUSINESS MODELS
Conceptualization, review and editing: Antonia Pacios and Anabel Castillo.
We are pleased to launch the CSTO2NE podcast series on Eco-Innovation Business Models, created following our CSTO2NE Training Seminar held on 26 January 2026 (hybrid format, coordinated by the Polytechnic University of Madrid – UPM).
This six-episode series follows the innovation lifecycle in construction and the built environment—showing how promising circular solutions can move from early ideas to real-world adoption. In construction, technical performance is essential, but it is not enough: innovations must also fit viable business models, align with standards and certification pathways, survive procurement realities, and build trust across a complex ecosystem of stakeholders.
Across the series, our speakers share practical insights on:
- Building effective university–industry ecosystems.
- Structuring early incubation and evidence-based decision gates.
- Validating prototypes into credible demonstrators.
- Scaling through pilots and certification roadmaps.
- Deploying market-ready technologies at full scale.
- Growing and financing spin-offs through sustainable scale-up strategies.
We invite you to listen, share, and join the conversation—especially if you work on innovation, circularity, and business models in construction.
Episodes and speakers:
Episode 1: Building University–Industry Alliances for Innovation
Joaquín Ordieres Meré (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid) focuses on the innovation ecosystem itself: why collaboration models based on ecosystems often outperform linear “technology transfer”, how roles should be distributed across universities, companies and public actors, and what governance mechanisms help collaboration create long-term value. The episode closes with a key question that connects to the next stage of the lifecycle: how to recognise when an ecosystem is mature enough to run a joint incubator that reliably turns ideas into early innovations.
Episode 2: Early Incubators in Construction Technologies.
João Silva, Head of Innovation at Tecnibuild Group, explains why structured incubation matters—especially in construction, where innovation cannot rely only on individual projects. João shares how an internal incubator helps organisations screen ideas, stop weak ones early, and progress the strongest concepts into lab prototypes. The conversation covers decision gates, evidence required to move forward, and how to de-risk early innovation with the right mix of internal investment and support schemes—without letting funding define the roadmap.
Episode 3: From Prototype to Demonstrator
Clémence Lebailly-Lepetit (Bioxegy) will address a critical transition: moving from prototype to demonstrator through credible validation. We discuss how Business Model Canvas can serve as a practical validation tool—not only a business planning exercise—helping teams clarify what must be proven, for whom, and in which order. The episode also explores what a minimum “evidence package” should include to avoid restarting validation with every new partner, and it uses the DarkCO₂ example to show which validation results can most influence go/no-go decisions.
Episode 4: Piloting Innovation at Scale: Industrial Demonstrations and Certification Roadmaps
Lorna Anguilano, Reader and ETC Director at Brunel University London, as well as CTO and Director at Phyona discuss why adoption can still be difficult even when technologies are technically ready. The episode looks at how to position a value proposition, so it survives procurement decisions, what role regulation, End-of-Waste status and certification play in scaling, and what typically defines the critical path to market. Lorna also highlights real bottlenecks when moving from pilots to industrial scale and explains how organisations choose between product sales, “as-a-service” models, and partnerships to succeed in conservative markets.
Episode 5: Deploying Market-Ready Technologies.
Our guest, Aloysio Gomes de Souza Filho (Federal University of Technology, Brazil and University of Beira Interior, Portugal), explores why technically proven solutions still face barriers at scale. We discuss lessons from real-world low-carbon and CO₂ mineralisation/CCUS examples (including Carbfix and Solidia), what value propositions tend to win in procurement decisions, and how regulation, End-of-Waste status and certification shape the path to market. The episode also highlights the “minimum viable ecosystem” needed for scale—who needs to be involved, and how coordination should be led.
Episode 6: Growing University Spin-Offs: Bootstrapping vs. Venture Capital
Tomás Navarro Echeverría (Scaphari Ventures) shares common business-model weaknesses seen before fundraising and how founders can fix them early. We discuss when bootstrapping makes more sense than venture capital—and when VC is necessary or even harmful—plus how different funding routes shape strategic freedom. Tomás also explains what “good timing” means in practice for circular construction innovations, the signals that indicate a spin-off is truly ready to scale, and what universities and industry partners can do differently to improve survival rates.
