RISE IN showcased at IC2: Innovation Industry Construction Congress 2026

The RISE IN project was presented at the IC2: Innovation Industry Construction Congress, held from 1–5 June 2026 in Santander, Spain, where project partner CETIM showcased the latest results of its work within the project. The poster, presented by Sainza Arufe, a researcher at CETIM involved in RISE IN, highlighted the project's ongoing activities and contributions to advancing innovation in the construction sector. The event provided an excellent opportunity to disseminate project outcomes, engage with researchers and industry stakeholders, and strengthen collaboration within the European innovation ecosystem.

RISE IN aims to enhance the bankability and overall viability of Climate Resilient Solutions (CRS), strengthening their ability to attract investment and support large-scale deployment. CRS are solutions designed to reduce climate risks and increase resilience in urban and industrial systems, addressing challenges such as flooding, water scarcity, and pollution while also delivering environmental and social co-benefits.

Improving the bankability of CRS involves demonstrating technical effectiveness, ensuring replicability across different contexts, and increasing economic return to make them more attractive to investors. Before assessing return, it is essential to optimise cost–benefit performance.

Within this framework, the work presented by CETIM at IC2 focused on improving the cost-effectiveness of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), which are a key type of CRS supporting water infiltration, runoff management, and water purification. The system studied combines permeable pavement with an activated carbon adsorption filter. However, the high cost of activated carbon limits large-scale replication.

To address this limitation, alternative low-cost adsorbents were investigated to replace activated carbon in heavy metal removal processes. Three types of biochar were selected and evaluated through batch and column adsorption tests, comparing their performance in pollutant removal.

The results obtained so far indicate that these alternative materials can maintain satisfactory removal efficiency while significantly improving the economic viability of the system. Consequently, the use of low-cost adsorbents supports the wider deployment of efficient SuDS as Climate Resilient Solutions and contributes to strengthening their overall bankability.