Highlights from the openDBL Week in Kifissia

The openDBL project recently marked its final phase with a series of innovative events held from November 4 to 6, 2025, in Kifissia, Greece. These three days were hosted by our project partner, the Municipality of Kifissia.

This gathering brought together partners from across Europe to reflect on three years of collaboration, digital transformation, and progress within the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO) sector. The initiative includes 13 partners from 8 countries, and will formally conclude in December 2025.

November 4 – Final Project Meeting
The week began with the final face-to-face project meeting, where partners reviewed the current status of the openDBL platform and outlined the remaining steps ahead of the official project completion in December. Presentations provided updates from the four pilot sites, covering platform integration, access control and sensor deployment, data models, and mobile app testing.

The consortium also discussed strategies for long-term sustainability, including business model development and opportunities for exploitation beyond the project’s lifespan.

November 5 – openDBL Final Event
The openDBL Final Event celebrated the milestones achieved throughout the project. Project Coordinator Italo Mattia Spada delivered an overview of openDBL’s mission, technology, and vision, followed by Mario Caputi, who presented the business perspective and scalability of the platform.

The four pilot sites shared their experiences implementing smart building solutions across:

Kifissia, Greece – Nursery School Villa Michl & Town Hall
Ruvo di Puglia, Italy – Giovanni Bovio School
Mislata, Spain – La Fábrica Sociocultural
Center Ennepetal, Germany – dormakaba Research Center

These presentations demonstrated how openDBL supports data-driven decision-making, sensor integration, maintenance management, energy monitoring, and overall smart building operations. The Mayor of Mislata, Carlos Fernández Bielsa, highlighted the city’s commitment to innovation and sustainable urban development.

A panel discussion with pilot site representatives followed, offering reflections on lessons learned, challenges, and opportunities for future adoption.

In the evening, the CETMA team delivered an immersive virtual reality demonstration, allowing participants to explore the Giovanni Bovio School pilot site using the VR Viewer. Additional project innovations, including the Smart Quality Control App and various AI solutions, were also showcased.

November 6 – 3rd openDBL Hackathon

The final day featured the 3rd openDBL Hackathon, focused on developing new ideas for waste and energy management using the openDBL 3D Viewer.

Three interdisciplinary teams of professionals, researchers, and students presented their innovative concepts:

Team 1: A solution addressing building regulations, inspections, safety, and operational resilience.

Team 2: A Digital Twin Control Room integrating IoT data, occupancy patterns, and energy metrics.

Team 3: A QR code-based maintenance system, linking building components to historical data and generating predictive heat maps.

All teams demonstrated exceptional creativity and technical skill, and all participants were awarded medals in recognition of their work.

The ideas generated will contribute to the platform’s future development beyond the project’s lifetime.

Conclusion

The final phase of the openDBL project in Kifissia showcased the achievements of three years of collaborative research and innovation, while setting the stage for continued impact in the coming years. With the project officially concluding in December 2025, openDBL’s legacy will continue to support the advancement of smart, sustainable, and human-centered digital building solutions across the AECO sector.