From 9 to 13 June 2026, stakeholders from politics, public administration, research, business, culture and civil society gathered in Brussels for the NEB_FESTIVAL 2026. The third edition was held under the motto "Life. Spaces. Buildings." and focused on democratic participation and affordable housing as key challenges for Europe's future. At the same time, the festival demonstrated how closely sustainable construction is linked to culture, the creative industries, digital sovereignty and European AI technologies. Creative methods from design and placemaking are increasingly being woven into all areas of transformation processes. The NEB_NETWORK OFFICE Saxony-Anhalt used the event to expand its European network, learn about current developments and explore new opportunities for cooperation for Saxony-Anhalt.
From the very opening, the strategic importance of the NEB for Europe's sustainable transformation was emphasized. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced additional investments of 50 million for the NEB Academy over the next two years.
President of the European Council António Costa also highlighted the importance of the NEB. Considering the housing crisis across Europe, he stressed that Europe needs not only more buildings, but also “affordable, sustainable and liveable solutions.” He called for joint action at all political levels.
Saxony-Anhalt was also represented in the festival programme: In the panel "Making use of what we have: rethinking vacant and underused spaces", Werner Möller from the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation presented the NEB project Reallabor ZEKIWA Zeitz as an example of the creative reuse of vacant industrial buildings.
For the NEB_NETWORKING OFFICE Saxony-Anhalt, networking was the main focus of the visit. In direct exchange with the National Contact Point for the New European Bauhaus and the National Contact Point, approaches for joint activities were discussed. The aim is to create synergies, develop shared event formats and strengthen the state-wide initiative #NeueBauhäusler. The festival also provided an opportunity to learn more about the work of the European NEB_CHAPTERS as a regional networking initiative and advocate for NEB_VALUES
Particularly inspiring were insights into international initiatives such as Shift Sweden, which, on behalf of the Swedish Government, is paving the way towards a post-fossil and sustainable future through 100 projects over 10 years, while testing new forms of collaboration between politics, science, business and society.
Many discussions highlighted that sustainable construction and transformation processes require reliable political and regulatory framework conditions. At the same time, participants explored how successful pilot projects can be scaled without neglecting location-specific requirements. As a practical response, the RIM Handbook, developed within the EU-funded digiNEB project, provides concrete recommendations for action for municipal and regional stakeholders and makes the experience gained from existing NEB_PROJECTS directly applicable.
Another remarkable aspect was the self-critical reflection within the NEB community. Repeatedly, participants raised the question of how the New European Bauhaus can reach people who are already putting its values into practice but do not yet strongly identify with the European programme. Small and micro-enterprises in particular were identified as an important target group whose experience and innovative capacity should be more strongly integrated in the future.
The NEB_FESTIVAL 2026 thus highlighted not only the diversity of ongoing NEB activities, but also the challenges of the years ahead: sustaining successful projects, scaling innovation and engaging new stakeholders in the transformation process. For the NEB_NETWORKING OFFICE Saxony-Anhalt, the exchange provided valuable impulses for connecting regional activities with European developments and building new partnerships.
Impressions
