Welcome to the very first edition of the ShieldBot newsletter!
As the demand for energy-efficient construction grows, traditional methods fall short in meeting modern sustainability standards to reduce their environmental footprint. ShieldBot steps in bringing next-generation robotics directly onto construction sites to transform how we build, renovate, and maintain our buildings.
How? Developing three solutions:
- InnerShieldBot, designed for internal construction works, applying similar thermal shielding to walls and ceilings to enhance comfort and efficiency.
- InspectionShieldBot, utilising advanced sensors to assess building exteriors, identifying areas needing repair or insulation, ensuring maintenance and sustainability.
- FaçadeShieldBot, focusing on installing thermal shielding on building façades, improving insulation and reducing energy consumption.
These robotic systems are supported by DigiShield, a digital twin platform that aggregates and analyses data from on-site operations, enabling real-time decision-making and precise project planning; and EcoShield, innovative, eco-friendly materials for insulation solutions to further minimise the carbon footprint of construction activities.
Beyond technological innovation, ShieldBot emphasises the integration of human-robot collaboration to ensure that robotic solutions support rather than replace human workers, enhancing safety and efficiency on-site.
DISCOVER MORE ABOUT OUR PROJECT
“With ShieldBot, we are bringing smart robots into construction to help make buildings more sustainable and energy-efficient. By combining robotics with human expertise, we want to show how technology can work alongside people to make construction sites safer, greener, and more efficient. Our hope is that ShieldBot sets a new example for how robots and people can build a better future together”, Jokin Muñoa, Scientific Manager at IDEKO and Coordinator of ShieldBot.
ShieldBot in Action
Kick-off Meeting at IDEKO’s Premises in Elgoibar, Spain
Almost six months ago, on 4-5 November 2025, the ShieldBot consortium gathered in person for the first time at the facilities of IDEKO, the project coordinator, in Elgoibar, a town in the Basque Country, Spain, to kick-off the project.
ShieldBot, “Next-Generation Robotics for Sustainable and Efficient Thermal Shielding of Buildings”, is set to revolutionise the construction industry by integrating advanced robotics with sustainable practices to tackle some of the most pressing challenges in building renovation and energy efficiency.
First Workshop at European Robotics Forum 2026
In March 2026, ShieldBot hit a significant milestone at the European Robotics Forum 2026 (ERF 2026) hosted on 23-27 March 2026 in Stavanger, Norway, with the co-organisation of our first workshop titled “AI and Robotics in Construction: From Perception to Action”.
Jointly organised with the Tech4EUConstruction Cluster, this third edition of the workshop gathered seven experts from research and industry to discuss how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics can drive a more sustainable, digital future for the construction sector. The speakers represented the projects DISCOVER, RoBétArmé, BEEYONDERS, TARGET-X and XSCAVE, alongside ShieldBot.
ShieldBot attends BIEMH 2026
A couple of weeks before ERF 2026, ShieldBot joined the conversation on innovation in robotics at the Bienal Internacional de Máquina-Herramienta (BIEMH) 2026 in Bilbao, Spain. Held at the Bilbao Exhibition Centre from 2 to 6 March 2026, IDEKO, ShieldBot’s project coordinator, took part in one of the fair’s innovation workshops on robotics, automation and digitisation.
Upcoming events
Those who attended ERF 2026 and BIEMH 2026 had the opportunity to learn more about our project in person. If you missed us, there will be plenty opportunities to connect, as we will be participating in several upcoming events:
- ICRA 2026: 1-5 June 2026, Vienna (Austria)
- IC2. Innovation industry Construction Congress: 1-5 June 2026, Santander (Spain)
- 3DMC – 3D Metrology Conference: 8-10 September 2026 – London (UK)
- O3DM – Optical 3D Metrology: 18-20 November 2026 – Braunschweig (Germany)
Who is behind ShieldBot?
Meet our Partners
Funded by the Horizon Europe programme, ShieldBot is formed by a consortium of 11 research and industrial partners from six European countries, including Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
Coordinated by IDEKO, the team brings together a balanced mix of expertise in research, technology development, industry, and dissemination to rethink construction through innovation during the next three years.
This consortium reunited for its first General Assembly at the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom in February 2026. Organised by Xin Dong, Associate Professor in Engineering Design for Manufacturing, Jung-Che Chang, Research Associate, and Dragos Axinte, Professor of Manufacturing Engineering, this two-day event brought together the ShieldBot partners to reflect on progress since the kick-off meeting in Elgoibar, Spain, in November 2025.
Held at the Jubilee Campus, the Assembly served to align future activities, strengthen cooperation among the project’s technical and management teams and drive forward innovative robotic solutions for a more sustainable and efficient built environment.
Read the details of our General Assembly
The Tech4EUConstruction Cluster
Advancing AI and Robotics in Construction
ShieldBot is a member of the Tech4EUconstruction cluster. Funded in 2022 by BEEYONDERS, HumanTech, and RoBétArmé projects, and supported by the European Commission, the Cluster aims to develop and demonstrate new technologies to further digitalise and automatise the European construction sector, targeting to increase its safety and attractivity for workers.
Thank you for reading the first ShieldBot Newsletter!
We encourage you to follow our journey to revolutionise the EU construction industry with robotics.
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