International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Dec 03, 2025

#TBT to CASE25 in Cyprus!

Nov 20, 2025

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Today is time for a Throwback Thursday (#tbt) because, back in September, our colleague Eleni Apostolidou (Frederick Research Center) presented the paper “Enhancing Accessibility in the Built Environment Using IoT-Enabled Smart Sensors" at the Conference Advancements in Sustainable Engineering (CASE25), held in Cyprus (11-12 September).

In this paper, the authors provided a structured literature review and comparative analysis examining how digital twin technologies and IoT-enabled smart sensors can improve accessibility in smart buildings. The paper was co-authored with CETEM (Spain) and CERTH (Greece) and explores how these technologies can support more inclusive, accessible public spaces.

Find more about it here!​

Our 3rd newsletter is out!

Nov 19, 2025

​Welcome to the Third AccesS Project newsletter – marking 18 months of collaboration and progress! As we move into the next phase, the team is deepening the development of our digital solutions while bringing them closer to real-world application through demonstrations and engagement with local communities and partners.

Find out more here!​​

Register to receive your free Visitor Pass!

Oct 24, 2025

​AccesS and REN+HOMES will be participating in Smart City Expo World Congress 2025 (SCEWC25), Barcelona, 4 - 6 November. We’d love to invite you to join us as our guest! Register here to receive your free Visitor Pass code. 

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Don't forget to join our side event under the theme “Enabling Technologies for Sustainable and Inclusive Smart Cities and Buildings​”:

​Date: Thursday, November 6, 2025

Time: 09:30h – 12:30h

Location: Zone CC5 – Room 5.3 | All Passes

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AccesS & REN+HOMES at Smart City Expo World Congress 2025

Oct 21, 2025

​​The Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) is the world’s biggest and most influential event on urban innovation, bringing together leaders, cities, and organizations shaping the future of sustainable and inclusive urban living.

This year, AccesS and REN+HOMES are proud to co-host a side event under the theme “Enabling Technologies for Sustainable and Inclusive Smart Cities and Buildings”. 

​Date: Thursday, November 6, 2025

Time: 09:30h – 12:30h

Location: Zone CC5 – Room 5.3 | All Passes

Event: Smart City Expo World Congress 2025| Barcelona​

The workshop will showcase how digital tools and technological innovation can accelerate energy conservation and support cities in their transition toward climate neutrality, accessibility, and inclusion.

• AccesS aims to create barrier-free environments and optimise energy use in smart buildings and cities — redefining standards for accessibility and sustainability.

• REN+HOMES focuses on developing a universal method for positive-energy homes and districts, featuring 23 practical solutions that integrate digitalisation and green energy principles.
  

Join Us!

This session will bring together experts, policymakers, and innovators to explore scalable pathways for inclusive, energy-efficient, and sustainable cities.

🔗 Learn more and register here.​

Project flyer!

Sep 26, 2025

​Check out our flyer, where we briefly present the project and its key elements, including the demonstration cases and the consortium. We will be distributing these at the upcoming events, so make sure to grab one!

You can find the flyer here: AccesS Flyer

Demo site 6: Mercado de Verónicas, Spain

Sep 19, 2025

​​​Meet the Mercado de Verónicas, our pilot site in Spain!

How Can We Build an Accessible and Inclusive Built Environment?

Sep 10, 2025

​We have prepared two brochures that outline the User-Centered Design (UCD) approach for the AccesS project and highlight findings related to user needs, expectations and challenges for accessibility of the built environment and active mobility solutions across the six demo sites of the project​​.

This content is intended to inform a broad spectrum of stakeholders engaged in the planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of inclusive and accessible built environments and mobility solutions. Its findings are particularly relevant to urban planners, architects, municipal decision-makers, technology developers, and digital tool designers, who play a central role in shaping physical and regulatory infrastructures and in the creation of accessible smart systems. Additionally, the UCD approach offers a knowledge base for academic researchers and evaluators working in the areas of smart cities, universal design, and mobility systems.​

​You can read about the approach and its results in a full report here, or you can check the main findings in a shorter version here.

2nd Press Release

Aug 27, 2025

​A year has passed​​​ and we have established, developed, completed, conducted, drafted, selected, defined and implemented many things - read all about them in our second press release. We have also established connections with similar projects and initiatives to grow stronger together. You can follow our progress through our website and social media channels, where we regularly post about our latest developments.

Read the 2nd Press Release 2025 here!

Demo site 1: Christo and Jeanne-Claude Centre, Bulgaria

Aug 18, 2025

​​​Meet the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Centre, our pilot site in Bulgaria!

The pilot in Bulgaria will test innovative approaches to accessibility and sustainability. Here, accessibility means more than ramps and elevators: it is about spatial orientation, cultural openness, and enabling people to actively participate rather than remain passive visitors. ​

Read more about it in the pdf about Demo site 1: Christo and Jeanne-Cl​aude Centre.

Demo site 4: Casa Girasole, Switzerland

Jul 30, 2025

​Meet the Casa Girasole - our pilot site in Switzerland!

The Swiss pilot focuses on evaluating how accessibility, comfort, and energy efficiency can be improved through digital solutions in a residential care setting.

Read more about it in the pdf about Demo site 4: Casa Girasola.

Demo site 3: Droom je Thuis Foundation, The Netherlands

Jun 27, 2025

​​Meet the Droom Je Thuis - our pilot site in the Netherlands! It is a pioneering housing project, born from the parents' initiative of creating a safe, accessible, and future-proof home for kids with disabilities. Read more about it in the pdf about Demo site 3: Droom je thuis!​

AccesS and InclusiveSpaces Joint workshop recording

Jun 26, 2025

​​On the 24th June 2025, AceesS and InclusiveSpaces organised a workshop under the Sustainable Energy Days umbrella.

The topic we discussed was "How can inclusive, accessible design and energy efficiency go hand in hand to power a just, inclusive, and competitive green transition in Europe?"

Have you missed the workshop? You can check the recording on our YouTube channel via this link: https://youtu.be/yOPl0g3hE_s​​​​

4th Plenary meeting

Jun 19, 2025

​For the 4th Plenary meeting of the project, the consortium met online to discuss progress, challenges and opportunities. We are currently at month 13, with three work packages already concluded. The technical work packages are in full speed, and we just initiated pilot preparations for the demonstration activities. Here are just some of the main achievements of the project so far:

• AccesS  Framework architecture, use cases and master planning for demonstrators 
• Finalisation of AccesS user-centered design approach & site-specific roadmaps
• Comparative analysis of European and international regulations & data collection activities with users and stakeholders
• Development of the low-definition and high-definition prototypes of the user interface and experience of the ErgoFlow evaluation tool and furniture library
• Definition of the interaction parameters between the virtual human and the simulated virtual environment, and the syntax used to describe them in a simulation scenario ​
•  Ontology designed to serve as the backbone for the common information management layer
• Core platform features developed, establishing the foundation for future functionalities

We concluded that the project is well on track, and we look forward to our next plenary meeting, when we will again meet in person.

AccesS and InclusiveSpaces project workshop

Jun 11, 2025

​Enhancing Accessibility and Sustainability in Smart Cities and Smart Buildings - a joint workshop

Recording of the workshop!

Jun 05, 2025

​​​Watch the recording of the workshop on User-Centered Design Approach and Inclusive Active Mobility Solutions, organised by the AccesS project. the workshop took place online on the 22nd May 2025. The topics covered in the workshop were:

• An overview of the User-Centered Design approach applied in the AccesS project
• A presentation of user needs, challenges, and priorities across three types of demo sites

The 2nd newsletter is out!

May 16, 2025

​The project's second newsletter is out - an editiona marking our first anniversary! Check it out to find out about our latest upadates and milestones!

You can find it here!​

Demo site 2: The Brancacci Chapel, Italy

May 14, 2025

​Meet the Civic Museum of the Brancacci Chapel — our pilot site in the city of Florence! This historic site is rich in art and culture, with exciting plans underway to enhance accessibility. Read more about it in the pdf about Demo site 2: Brancacci Chapel.

Workshop on User-Centered Design Approach and Inclusive Active Mobility Solutions

May 05, 2025

​​​We are organising a workshop, titled "User-Centered Design Approach and Inclusive Active Mobility Solutions"!

The workshop aims to inform and guide the design priorities and development of the AccesS solutions by presenting the needs, expectations, and barriers faced by diverse user groups, particularly people with disabilities, those with reduced mobility, and other vulnerable populations across the project's six demo sites. The findings focus on two key dimensions: the built environment within the sites and active mobility in the surrounding areas. 

During the workshop, we will cover:

• An overview of the User-Centered Design (UCD) approach applied in the AccesS project
  
• A presentation of user needs, challenges, and priorities across three types of demo sites
  

This workshop will provide essential insights for shaping the next phases of the AccesS project. It is an opportunity for project partners and stakeholders to collaboratively reflect on the findings, discuss challenges, and align on strategic directions for ensuring that AccesS solutions are user-centered, accessible, and inclusive.

​Time and date: 22nd May 2025 at 10.00 AM

​Location: online (https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82710696567)

Join us at the workshop!​

Project video is out!

Apr 18, 2025

​In this video, we present what the project is about: which gaps we are trying to close, what our main objectives are, and how the concept of the project is structured. The three types of demonstration cases that will help us validate the methodology are shown and the consortium of the project is presented. Follow our work through our website and social media channels!

Click here to see the video!

Stakeholders' Engagement Workshops

Mar 28, 2025

​​In the framework of the AccesS Project, Work Package 3 (Towards a common evaluation and certification framework for accessibility and inclusiveness) plays a crucial role in developing a comprehensive certification framework for accessibility and inclusiveness in the built environment. By engaging with key stakeholders from Cyprus, Greece, Romania, The Netherlands, Spain, and Italy, we aim to identify best practices, address challenges, and align our methodology with existing standards and EU directives.

Through stakeholder events and workshops, we gather valuable insights to refine our assessment scheme, ensuring it integrates social inclusivity, an accessible environment for disabled people, smart technologies, energy-efficient solutions, and the unique needs of different demonstrators.

Read the report on the outcomes from the workshops!​

3rd Plenary Meeting Held in Murcia, Spain

Mar 07, 2025

The 3rd Plenary Meeting of the AccesS Project took place on February 25-26 in Murcia, Spain, bringing together project partners and stakeholders to discuss progress and future steps. The event garnered strong interest from the municipality and local stakeholders, who attended to engage with the project's objectives. Accessibility remained a key topic, emphasizing the importance of inclusive urban environments.

A highlight of the meeting was the visit to the Verónicas Market, one of the pilots within the AccesS Project. Project partners toured the facility, gaining first-hand insights into real-world applications. They engaged with local organizations to understand existing barriers and necessary improvements to ensure seamless mobility.

AccesS project aims to integrate advanced technological solutions to enhance the market's accessibility and sustainability. This includes developing an evaluation tool to analyze the market's design and operation, providing key data on accessibility and energy efficiency. Additionally, the use of big data and artificial intelligence will offer real-time information on the building's behavior, facilitating user mobility and ensuring a more inclusive environment.

The event attracted local media attention, with reports highlighting the significance of the discussions and the project's impact on accessibility initiatives.

The meeting was a great success, fostering fruitful collaboration between project partners, local authorities, and stakeholders. Seeing the progress made and the shared commitment to improving accessibility was truly encouraging. The AccesS Project continues to move forward with strong momentum, and we look forward to the next steps in making urban spaces more inclusive for all. ​

Built4People 2nd Clustering Event

Nov 20, 2024

​On the 19th of November 2024, Panagiota Chatzipanagiotidou​ from CERTH presented the AccesS project at the Built4People 2nd Clustering Event in Brussels. The event brought together representatives of the 30 projects funded to date as part of the Built4People Co-programmed Public Private Partnership under the "Efficient, sustainable​ and inclusive energy use" part of the Horizon Europe Work Programme for Climate, energy and Mobility.​​ In her presentation she talked about the project's objectives, key results and innovations and more importantly, about the project's contribution to the B4P partnership.

The event was a great opportunity to ​​see the progress of other projects working on people-centric, climate-neutral, sustainable and smart solutions for the built environment.

2nd Plenary meeting

Oct 30, 2024

​​After the project's kick-off meeting, which took place on the 6th and 7th of June in Thessaloniki, Greece, the consortium ​gathered on the 21st of October for the 2nd Plenary meeting in Florence, Italy. The meeting proved to be an invaluable opportunity for collaboration and knowledge exchange among project partners. The agenda included fruitful discussions on the ongoing demonstration case study in the region, where consortium members engaged with relevant stakeholders to gain insights into the challenges faced on-site. Through these interactions, we explored innovative solutions to address these issues, reinforcing our commitment to achieving the project’s objectives. Additionally, social activities fostered stronger relationships among consortium members, creating a cohesive and motivated team ready to tackle the complexities of the project ahead. Overall, the meeting underscored our dedication to driving meaningful impact through collaboration and shared expertise.​

1st Press Release

Aug 12, 2024

​Welcome to the website of the EU​ project AccesS!
On the 1st of June, the EU-funded project AccesS kicked off with a hybrid meeting in Greece at the premises of the Project Coordinator CERTH. The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Innovation Actions under Grant Agreement No. 101147722 and will last for 3 years.

Follow our page and join us on the journey of revolutionizing the accessibility and inclusivity of smart buildings and smart cities!​