Institute for Research in Environment, Civil Engineering and Energy - IECE

🌍Even two weeks after the CATALYST Final Conference, we are still gathering impressions and receiving incredibly positive feedback from participants, partners, and stakeholders across Europe. The discussions, connections, and ideas shared in Skopje continue to resonate far beyond the event itself — especially the reflections and conversations sparked during our panel discussions.

💡 Panel 1 at the CATALYST Final Conference: Sustainable Systems and Business Transformation - From Strategy to Action

The first panel brought together voices from academia, business, and government to answer one of the most urgent questions of our time: how do organisations actually move from sustainability declarations to real transformation?

Here is what stayed with us:
🔹 Sustainable transformation is not a project - it is a mindset shift.
🔹 Investing in people and knowledge is not a cost. It is the highest-return investment a business can make - and the Градежен институт Македонија - ГИМ / CEIM's data is proving it.
🔹 The CO-IN© Model offers a concrete framework for businesses and educational institutions to co-create value together, closing the gap between what the market needs and what education delivers.

🎥 Watch the panel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1N9Y-Vbi-Q&t=4113s

📍Во просториите на Музејот на македонската борба на 23 април 2026 се одржа меѓународната конференција „Катализатор за промени во одржливи системи и бизнис трансформација“, како завршен настан на четиригодишниот Erasmus+ проект Catalyst.

🌱 Конференцијата беше организирана од Институтот за истражување во животна средина, градежништво и енергетика (ИЕГЕ), во соработка со партнери од Австрија, Германија, Грција и Португалија , и собра меѓународни експерти, претставници од бизнис секторот , образовни институции , носители на политики и граѓанскиот сектор.

🚀Настанот претставуваше силна платформа за размена на знаење , вмрежување и креирање нови партнерства, поставувајќи цврста основа за идни иницијативи во областа на одржливиот развој и бизнис трансформацијата.

🏦 Kragujevac National Bank Branch – A Pilot Energy Renovation of a Cultural Monument

Within the Eu-Repair project (EUKI - European Climate Initiative), the Innovation Center of the University of Niš (ICUN) examined a pioneering example of sustainable refurbishment in Serbia — the pilot energy renovation of the National Bank Branch in Kragujevac.

Built in 1939 by the architect Bogdan Nestorović, this monumental building, protected as a cultural heritage site, stands as a symbol of interwar institutional architecture. The project, conducted in 2021–2022 by an academic-engineering consortium, demonstrated how historic structures can integrate energy-efficient upgrades without compromising authenticity.

💡 Key interventions included:
🔹 Replacement of deteriorated single-glazed windows with wooden replicas featuring double glazing, maintaining the original façade design.
🔹 Application of reversible internal insulation (calcium-silicate boards) in upper-floor offices to reduce heat loss while preserving decorative interiors.
🔹 Basement ceiling insulation and installation of a modern, efficient gas boiler with zoned controls.
🔹 Lighting modernization, including solar-powered LED fixtures for outdoor and security illumination.

📊 Results and Impact:
The project achieved a 30% reduction in heating demand and improved the building’s energy class from D to B. It also served as a living laboratory, documenting interventions, monitoring indoor climate before and after, and generating data now used to refine Serbia’s technical renovation guidelines.

Beyond energy results, the initiative fostered university–government collaboration and student training, strengthening local expertise in sustainable heritage renovation.

This case confirms that science-driven pilot projects can reconcile conservation with innovation — offering a blueprint for future refurbishments of protected buildings across Serbia and Europe.

The Eu-Repair project, coordinated by the Institute for Research in Environment, Civil Engineering and Energy - IECE, unites partners from Germany 🇩🇪, Lithuania 🇱🇹, Estonia 🇪🇪, North Macedonia 🇲🇰, and Serbia 🇷🇸 to advance sustainable refurbishment of valuable built environments across Europe.