CircleBIM – Public Sector Innovation with BIM for a more circular construction sector

Many cities and regions have set ambitious goals to make their public planning and construction processes (PPC) more circular. However, circular planning and construction processes often remain inefficient, difficult to scale, and challenging to replicate. The main causes of these challenges include:

Sectoral Silos: Administrative processes, as well as planning and information management, continue to take place within isolated sectoral structures, hindering collaboration and exchange.
Lack of Data and Expertise: The public sector often lacks the necessary data and knowledge to manage and implement efficient circular processes.

These obstacles slow progress toward a sustainable construction economy, which is urgently needed to address global challenges such as climate change and resource scarcity. CircleBIM addresses these challenges through the targeted application and further development of Building Information Management (BIM) in circular planning and construction processes.

1. Local Circular Construction Partnerships (LCCPs)

To drive the transition forward, six Local Circular Construction Partnerships (LCCPs) are being established in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France as innovative platforms. Norway, as the 7th partnership region, will adopt and transfer experiences from the LCCPs. These partnerships bring together stakeholders along the entire planning chain – from early planning to construction and implementation. Each of these partnerships will realize a pilot project that integrates BIM into circular planning and construction processes in innovative ways.

2. Development of a Transferable CircleBIM Framework

The project collects and analyzes experiences from the pilot projects of the LCCPs as well as other circular planning and construction initiatives across the North Sea region. Based on these insights, a common and transferable CircleBIM framework will be developed. This framework will serve as a guide for the innovative use of BIM in circular planning and construction processes and will be applicable not only within the project but also beyond it.

3. Promoting Regional and Transnational Implementation

To ensure the results are usable both regionally and transnationally, CircleBIM will develop regional action plans based on the findings of the LCCPs. A comprehensive strategy for raising awareness and implementing the results across the North Sea region ensures that the project outcomes can be transferred beyond the project partnership. CircleBIM represents a pioneering project that not only promotes technological innovation but also demonstrates how collaboration among different stakeholders can sustainably design and implement circular construction processes in practice.

The project is coordinated by HafenCity University Hamburg (HCU) as the lead partner. In addition to the LCCP representatives, who are primarily municipal administrations, the 13 partners also include organizations from the fields of academia, entrepreneurship, and housing companies. These partners contribute their BIM expertise as well as knowledge of circular construction processes.

CircleBIM is co-financed by the Interreg North Sea Programme 2021–2027 and was approved in May 2024. REM Consult was commissioned by the Senate Chancellery of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg to take the lead in the development and application for the project. Since November 2024, REM Consult has been supporting the lead partner, HafenCity University Hamburg, in project and financial management.