Scaling Solutions: BE-ST 2025 Round-up
It's been a significant year for BE-ST. The Mass Timber Centre of Excellence launched with £1.5 million of state-of-the-art equipment, while Scotland's National Retrofit Centre completed its transformation and became award-winning.
But what stands out most is how much has been achieved through partnership. Working closely in collaboration with various organisations spanning industry, SMEs, colleges, universities, local authorities, government, and much more, here are our landmark achievements from the last year.
1. Alchemai
The Alchemai project finalised its outputs with Holosphere hosting a showcase and software demo at Kings Heath, Birmingham, celebrating the successful completion of this 18-month Innovate UK–funded project.
Alchemai brought together seven industry partners, including BE-ST, Beattie, Holosphere, Bassetlaw District Council, Elemental Power, Atamate Building Intelligence, and RE24, to help non-domestic building owners decarbonise through digital twin and XR technology.
2. Skills
We have grown our skills and training offering to help ensure the sector stays ahead of shifting policies, market demands, and skills requirements.
Timber in Construction Skills
CITB awarded £430,000 from its flagship Industry Impact Fund to develop a comprehensive industry training programme to accelerate timber construction skills in the UK.
Low Carbon Passport
BE-ST launched the Low Carbon Passport to train 1,200 construction workers by December 2026 in the skills and competencies needed to deliver high-quality, low carbon, efficient buildings, funded through the CITB Industry Impact Fund.
3. SNRC (Scotland's National Retrofit Centre)
Scotland's National Retrofit Centre marks a major step forward in Scotland's journey to decarbonising the built environment. More than just a facility, it's a living lab where innovation, training, and collaboration come together to drive real change for our sector and society.
It is also home to the UK's first zero carbon emissions heating system of its kind – an integrated solution from NIBE Energy Systems Limited in collaboration with PREAH Building Services. The build was completed with Clark Contracts, John Gilbert Architects and many more partners.
Scotland's National Retrofit Centre won the Public Sector Project of the Year at the 2025 Energy Saving Awards for the system.
4. Milestone shelters launched in Basildon
BE-ST collaborated with Bauer Media Outdoor UK and partners on the launch of the Milestone range of bus shelters in Basildon, Essex, marking the most significant innovation in UK bus shelter design in decades. Made with FSC Douglas fir timber, low-carbon concrete and glass, these shelters achieve around 70% lower CO₂e than legacy designs.
5. Curved CLT - V&A London Exhibit
A new exhibit at London's Victoria and Albert Museum spotlights pioneering research from Edinburgh Napier University on the future of sustainable construction using UK-grown timber. Led by architecture firm dRMM, Building from Forests showcases the output from three years of Forestry Commission funded research as part of broader collaboration, including ENU, BE-ST and Ecosystems Technologies.
6. EHD (Edinburgh Home Demonstrator)
The University of Edinburgh has begun rigorous testing to validate performance standards of the 75 affordable 'net zero ready' homes at Granton Station View, the Pilot of the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator Project. The University is measuring the u-value and airtightness of the buildings as well as conducting thermal imaging of the homes.
7. Mass Timber Centre of Excellence
Mass timber fire safety research
BE-ST was awarded funding from Built by Nature to spearhead critical research into mass timber fire safety. With delivery partners at the University of Edinburgh Fire Research Centre, the project will address key knowledge gaps and present the next steps for advancing fire safety research and regulatory policy for mass timber buildings.
Homegrown wood fibre insulation project
Researchers from The University of Edinburgh were at BE-ST carrying out final testing of samples of the UK's first commercially viable homegrown wood fibre insulation, making use of BE-ST's heat flow meter and a purpose-made heated test box.
New Centre launched
BE-ST announced the launch of the Mass Timber Centre of Excellence, supported by Scottish Funding Council and host institution Edinburgh Napier University. The Centre will provide the UK construction and built environment sector with the facilities, knowledge, and connections to accelerate the adoption of UK-grown mass timber solutions. BE-ST houses £1.5 million of newly acquired, state-of-the-art mass timber post-processing equipment, including the largest commercially available CNC machine in the UK.
8. Smarter Transformation Magazine
May – Housing & Manufacturing Issue
We launched Smarter Transformation – a quarterly magazine dedicated to helping accelerate our smarter transformation to the better built environment we need. The first issue is themed on Mass Timber & Manufacturing, exploring Scotland's innovation potential as the UK's Mass Timber Centre of Excellence.
July – Retrofit
This edition coincided with the retrofit of Scotland's National Retrofit Centre at our Innovation Campus, featuring stories of how the retrofit was achieved, the lessons learned, and the businesses, solutions and people behind it.
October – Scaling Solutions
This issue focused on 'Scaling Solutions', highlighting the systems, solutions, products, organisations, and individuals leading the mission to accelerate the built environment's just transition to zero carbon. Featured articles include: Scaling Industrialised Construction: Global Learnings from MOD, How Ireland is Scaling Passivhaus, and The Midlothian Energy Limited Heat Network.
9. CMO (Cluster Management Organisation)
BE-ST was appointed by Scottish Enterprise to undertake work which develops its role as a Cluster Management Organisation for the built environment. BE-ST will map current cluster activity, foster cross-cluster collaboration, identify opportunities for economic growth, and unlock the full potential of Scotland's innovation landscape.
10. New board and BECM (BE Change Makers)
BE-ST welcomed eight key figures in the built environment and construction sectors onto its board. The new members bring experiences from industry and beyond, as well as expertise from retrofit, sustainability, property, energy, digital, innovation, and infrastructure.
We also welcomed a new cohort of BE Change Makers. The BE Change Makers are a group of professionals from all corners of the industry who advocate for systemic change in the sector and are committed to making it happen.
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