Breaking Property News 31/3/26
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2026 Proptech innovation challenge launches
The Urban Land Institute invites for entries from innovators in the built environment
Press Release – London, UK – March 31, 2026 – The Urban Land Institute (ULI) Europe has called for entries in the 2026 PropTech Innovation Challenge (PIC), inviting innovators from across the built environment and technology to enter their cutting-edge solutions addressing the environmental, economic and social resilience of real estate. The fourth edition of the competition, which is a Young Leaders led initiative with a focus on fostering innovation in real estate, reflects the mission of ULI to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide.
Innovators are invited to submit their workable, scalable, and competitive solutions that promote resilient business models to support real estate in remaining viable and competitive while proactively identifying climate and social vulnerabilities and developing adaptive responses to them.
The focus this year is on durability across economic, environmental, and social pressures, with solutions reimagining how real estate integrates with different asset classes and functions to promote new ways of living and working. Innovations submitted can include both high and low-tech solutions such as hardware, software and business models, with the jury assessing them according to three criteria: potential impact, innovation and likelihood of adoption.
“The question of how we make our buildings, cities and communities resilient to the diverse risks and uncertainties that affect everyone is a central focus of ULI’s mission,” said Simon Durkin, CEO, ULI Europe. “There are important environmental and social factors that our industry needs to address, as well as value preservation, and awareness of the most effective and innovative solutions to tackle some of the biggest challenges we face is critical.”
“Driven by the enthusiasm and dynamism of our Young Leaders, the PIC initiative itself also exemplifies innovation, and over the last three years the competition has proven its significance and achieved great momentum, rallying many in the industry by connecting real estate with some of the solutions needed to support our places and our communities.”
The delivery of PIC is led by members of the ULI Europe Young Leaders Executive Committee, and this year comprises Marco Licari, Senior Energy Engineer, GreenGen and Fabienne Cézanne, Head of Marketing, Next Sense.
Marco Licari comments, “Real estate is being reshaped by new ways of living and working, requiring solutions that go beyond traditional asset boundaries. The real challenge is not just technological innovation, but the emergence of resilient business models that can integrate multiple uses, align incentives, and deliver seamless, end-to-end user experiences.”
Fabienne Cézanne comments, “Building on the momentum of previous editions, this year’s challenge reflects a critical shift in our industry. Resilient business models are no longer optional – they are essential to navigating economic, social, and climate pressures. I’m particularly excited to see solutions that rethink how real estate integrates across asset classes to deliver more adaptive, user-centric experiences.”
PIC runs in two phases, commencing with eight regional competitions for Austria, CEE (Poland and Czech Republic), France, Germany, Greece and Cyprus, Iberia (Spain and Portugal), Switzerland, and the UK and Ireland. The shortlisted finalists in each region will be invited to present to their national ULI PIC Jury Committees. Each of the regional winners will then be eligible to enter the pan European Grand Final of PIC in September 2026, presenting to the European jury. The overall European winner will then be revealed at the C Change Summit on November 5, 2026, in Dublin.
All regional winners will receive a one-year associate ULI membership. The overall winner will receive full ULI membership for one year, including access to events including the ULI Europe Conference and C Change Summit, and secure a place in the ULI Accelerator programme, subject to eligibility, offering further opportunities for growth, mentorship, and investment.
Building on a strong legacy of innovation, PIC has previously recognised cutting-edge organisations that are reshaping the real estate industry:
- In 2023, the inaugural European final was won by EFFIC (Spain), a specialist in energy-efficient residential refurbishments that enhance sustainability in existing buildings. Roofscapes (France) received a special mention.
- The 2024 European winner was Optiml (Switzerland), which provides an AI-powered solution to enable the decarbonisation of existing building stock
- Most recently, in 2025, Automated Architecture (AUAR) from the UK took the top prize with its platform for automated construction of sustainable and affordable timber-frame housing. Coat-ing (Nordics) and aloHOMora coliving (France) received special mentions.
These past winners exemplify PIC’s commitment to fostering solutions that address critical issues in the built environment.
The competition is open for entries from 31 March. Submissions are welcome from both ULI members and non-members, and organisations can include not-for-profit, for profit and academic/research labs operating in applicable European markets.
Andrew Stanton Executive Editor – moving property and proptech forward. PropTech-X
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