IDP coordinates the innovation project SPHERE, BIM Digital Twin Platform, funded by the EU, within the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, with a duration of 4 years and an overall budget of 12.83 million euros.

SPHERE aims to provide a digital platform based on the BIM methodology for improving and optimising the design, construction and energy management of buildings, reducing construction costs and their environmental impact, while increasing overall energy efficiency.

The SPHERE project encompasses two planes of research, innovation and improvement: On the one hand, it integrates the processes under the BIM Digital Twin concept, in its phases of design, construction and operation of the building; and on the other, through a platform formed by an underlying infrastructure of ICT systems based on the platform as a service (PaaS), which allows the integration of data, information and knowledge on a large scale.

The Digital Twin concept is a coordinated database, which includes information from geometric objects that form a virtual model synchronized with the real asset. The twinning of this virtual information model with reality helps decision-making during the useful life of the building (manufacturing, design, construction, maintenance, operation, rehabilitation and even demolition).

The ICT platform in the SPHERE cloud allows interaction with different stakeholders, during any phase of the asset, in a Digital Twin model and a scalable set of different software tools, such as, simulation tools for energy demand / performance, decision support and coaching systems, BEMs or predictive maintenance algorithms enabled by IoT.

SPHERE has the participation of a consortium formed by 19 companies, organizations and universities from all over Europe:

• Teknologian tutkimuskeskus VTT Oy and CAVERION Suomy Oy in Finland.
• R2M Solution SRL and DE5 Services Srl in Italy.
• COMSA Instalaciones y Sistemas Industriales, S.A., Fundació Eurecat, Comet Gesinco S.L., Empresarios Agrupados Internacional and IDP Ingenieria y Architectura Iberia S.L.U. (coordinator) in Spain.
• NEANEX International B.V. in Belgium.
• BASF Construction Solutions GmbH and Ascora GmbH in Germany.
• Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek TNO in the Netherlands.
• OCTOPUSSY Agence pour la Creation et la Diffusion d’Activités Culturelles Artistiques Technologiques Scientifiques in France.
• EKODENGE Sustainability Engineering Limited in Turkey.
• CREE Rhomberg GmbH in Austria.
• National University of Ireland, Galway, Enerit in Ireland.
• VRM Technology in the UK.