Tarmo Tuisk: “UPTEC has provided me opportunities to interact with a diverse group of people, who are always eager to help”

Tarmo Tuisk || Researcher and Project Specialist
TalTech - Tallinn University of Technology || Estonian || 1100 students and 1900 personnel

At UPTEC, our doors are open to new ideas, innovation, challenges and exchange. We welcome startups, universities, hubs and large companies from around the world. In this edition of Open Doors, we speak with Tarmo Tuisk from the Tallinn University of Technology in Estonia, one of UPTEC’s partners in the SMAR3TS project.

Introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your research project.
I am Tarmo Tuisk, a researcher and project specialist from Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia. My research here focuses on learning about opportunities for how load-bearing construction elements from old buildings can be reused in the development and design of new buildings.  In Estonia, we are developing an innovative online platform to facilitate the use of this kind of construction element. Besides collecting only available info, we are also developing standards and certificates for this purpose. This platform as a product will be useful as a practical tool for developers, municipalities, designers and other stakeholders, and obviously not only in Estonia or Europe, but internationally. See more at Reusing Old Buildings for Circular Construction website.

Why did you choose to come to UPTEC?
I chose Porto as here the new wave of building construction and renovation is constantly going on. Sustainable development in this field is inevitable because of the high environmental impact from the construction-related processes and depletion of resources is taking place here and everywhere. At the University of Porto, you have outstanding research in architecture and sustainable design, and since UPTEC facilitates this technology transfer with the companies, I was interested in visiting.

What expectations did you have before starting your secondment in Porto? 
I wanted to learn about the applicability and needs of the specific tool we develop at TalTech in Estonia.I had planned to contact people during various activities in Porto, to network with them, i.e. with people from the university and also real estate developers, to gain insights from them and other stakeholders who could contribute to my research here.

Were your expectations met?
Yes. During my stay, I participated in the SMAR3TS Summer School, where I met many researchers and PhD students. The topic of the summer school was Regenerative Transitions: Co-Designing Technologies, Ecosystems and Impact, which very strongly supported the aims of my stay at UPTEC.  I also participated in a housing-focused student team where our task was to find a scenario about how housing-related issues could be solved in Setubal, which has become a suburb of Lisbon. These five days we worked on this possible solution were very exciting, and I also learned many things besides this task we had. The most important thing that I established contacts with participants from Australia, Finland, Portugal, Spain and even New Zealand.I have also met local researchers and real estate developers during my stay in Porto.

Which connections to stakeholders in the Porto ecosystem could be made?
So far, I have made several valuable connections in Porto, including researchers in academia, and now I am preparing to meet real estate developers. These connections are crucial in contributing to my research in a broader setting.

What aspects of your secondment in Porto did you especially enjoy?
UPTEC has provided me with opportunities to interact with a diverse group of people who are always eager to help. Porto itself is a beautiful city with rich cultural, historical, and culinary opportunities, which I also tried to experience as much as I could.

How will your project continue after your time here in Porto?
After my secondment in Porto, I meet my project team in Estonia. Using the gathered information, here we will focus on developing and completing the local project in Tallinn. At the same time, I have gained several ideas from Porto for future research in this field, particularly about specific aspects each country can have related to sustainability and circularity in real estate development.