SocialTech Lab, together with partners at Society and Urban Form (SURF) Lab at the University of Cyprus, KARMA Mixed Reality Lab at Koç University, and Aks Creative Hub, has been selected to join the New European Bauhaus Academy (NEBA) South Hub, a major European initiative focused on transforming the built environment through sustainability, inclusion, and beauty.
This milestone positions the consortium as part of the NEBA Alliance, a Europe-wide initiative co-funded by the European Union and supported by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU). The NEBA South Hub was founded by IAAC (Spain), Cesefor (Spain), and Regione Liguria (Italy).
Building a More Sustainable, Inclusive Future
The NEBA South Hub aims to upskill youth and professionals in the construction and built environment sectors through high-quality, accessible learning. By focusing on lifelong learning, circularity, and innovation, the hub supports the transition to a carbon-neutral, inclusive, and aesthetically rich built environment, in line with the New European Bauhaus (NEB) values of beauty, sustainability and aesthetics..
“Joining the NEBA Alliance marks an exciting step forward for our consortium of partners as we work to support and amplify innovation in the built environment across South Europe and the East Med, rooted in the shared values of sustainability” says Steven W. Stavrou, Co-Founder, Director of Strategy & Impact of SocialTech Lab.
Now more than ever, as the region faces rising social, environmental, and economic pressures, investing in inclusive, cross-border innovation is critical to building more resilient, connected, and climate-ready communities.
What’s Ahead
As part of its NEBA South Hub activities, the consortium will:
- Develop two lifelong learning programs focused on human-centered design, circularity, hybrid cities, and prototyping in the built environment.
- Launch two open-access courses via the NEBA Academy online platform.
- Engage youth and creatives through events, mentorship, and learning experiences across the region.
The project builds on years of experience across the four partner organizations in architecture, design thinking, technology, commercialisation and community-driven innovation. The initiative also aims to address the systemic challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean, including unemployment, exclusion, and climate vulnerability, by creating pathways to education, economic empowerment, and inclusive design.
Stay tuned as in-person trainings and digital learning resources go live on the NEBA Academy platform in the coming months.
The project is supported by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking and its members. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CBE JU. Neither the European Union nor the CBE JU can be held responsible for them.
