The Rosenheimer Center of Excellence for Advanced Building Technologies (RoCABT) was conceived as a research and development hub to advance energy‑efficient construction in Malaysia and, in a later phase, across Southeast Asia. The project’s overarching aim was to support the reduction of greenhouse‑gas emissions by developing and disseminating advanced building technologies that meet the region’s hot, humid climate. A holistic concept was adopted, integrating education, research, industry cooperation, and internationalisation. The centre was to be financed through third‑party funding from public and private sources, with the expectation that the resulting intellectual property would generate further revenue streams.

The project was carried out over four years and organised into seven work packages grouped into two phases. In the first two‑year phase the focus was on establishing the foundation for RoCABT: baseline studies, pre‑planning, design and execution planning, and the development of measurement protocols. The second phase, also spanning two years, was intended to translate the design concepts into demonstrable prototypes, conduct performance testing, and prepare the centre for long‑term operation. The technical deliverables included a detailed design of the research facility, a set of performance metrics for building envelopes and HVAC systems, and the creation of a prototype panel system that achieved an international patent. The patent, secured through collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute’s Zentrum Bautechnik, led to the founding of interpanel GmbH, a spin‑off company that will commercialise the panel technology.

Key technical results reported in the project include the successful integration of passive design strategies with active systems to achieve significant energy savings in a tropical climate. While specific numerical performance values are not disclosed in the available report excerpt, the project emphasises that the prototype panels meet stringent energy‑efficiency standards and are compatible with existing construction practices in Malaysia. The collaboration with the United Nations Building Sector Energy Efficiency Project (BSEEP) provided access to a broader network of experts and facilitated the alignment of RoCABT’s research agenda with global best practices.

Collaboration was central to the project’s success. The academic partner was Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), which provided local expertise and access to student talent. Industry partners included IEN Consultants Sdn. Bhd. (IEN), which contributed project management and engineering support, and Green Tech Malaysia (GTM), which helped secure local funding and regulatory approvals. The Malaysian government’s involvement was represented by the Economic Planning Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department (EPU) and the Public Works Department (JKR), ensuring alignment with national infrastructure priorities. On the German side, the Fraunhofer Zentrum Bautechnik (FZB) supplied the scientific foundation and facilitated the patent process, while the Institute of Building Physics (IBP) contributed advanced simulation tools. The project also benefited from the support of the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) and the Center of Research and Innovation (CoRI), which helped bridge academia and industry.

The project’s timeline, from initial concept to prototype development, was tightly coordinated across the seven work packages. Regular milestones were set to monitor progress, and the project’s governance structure included joint steering committees with representatives from all partners. The outcome of the collaboration is a fully functional research centre that will serve as a platform for future projects aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of the building sector in Malaysia and beyond.