Introducing our Cluster Initiator: VIVAWEST
Building Better Living for a Climate-Ready Future
About VIVAWEST
VIVAWEST is one of the leading housing companies in North Rhine-Westphalia, managing almost 120,000 residential units and shaping living spaces for around 300,000 tenants. With a strong commitment to social responsibility and sustainable development, VIVAWEST combines economic stability with a forward-looking approach to urban living.
Key Facts
- Approx. 300,000 tenants
- 2,389 employees
- Portfolio: nearly 120,000 residential units
- Fair Value: €12.9 billion
- EBITDA: €452 million
- FFO: €278 million
Current Challenges: Navigating Transformation in Housing
What are the most pressing challenges in your field right now?
“Achieving a climate-neutral building stock by 2045 is one of our most urgent challenges. Rising construction costs, higher interest rates, reduced funding opportunities and increasing regulatory requirements intensify the tension between economic and ecological targets. At the same time, we carry a strong social responsibility within our sustainable business model.”
Which developments do you expect to have the biggest impact on your business — whether as a challenge or a driver?
“As a real estate group, we are particularly influenced by five megatrends: the energy and mobility transition, changing societal values, migration and integration, demographic developments and ongoing digitalisation. These shifts bring significant challenges, but we also see them as opportunities and use them to guide VIVAWEST’s strategic direction.”
Innovation Focus: Decarbonising and Digitalising the Future of Housing
In which innovation fields are you active today and which topics do you want to drive forward with startups, research and the BRYCK Startup Alliance?
“We are active across several innovation fields, with a particular focus on decarbonisation and digitalisation. These areas are crucial for the transformation of our housing portfolio, and we look forward to exploring new approaches together within the BRYCK Startup Alliance.”
Which technologies or solutions are particularly relevant to you?
“Emerging technologies such as Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are especially relevant for us. They offer wide-ranging opportunities to optimise processes in a customer-oriented way and drive effectiveness and efficiency across VIVAWEST.”
Ecosystem: Partnering for Sustainable Impact
What’s your main goal in partnering with the BRYCK Startup Alliance?
“Our goal is to jointly develop innovative solutions and promote business models that can positively contribute to our core business, particularly in the areas of decarbonisation and digitalisation.”
How can the BRYCK Startup Alliance accelerate the transfer of research into business practice?
“Cross-industry collaboration within the BRYCK Startup Alliance enables cross-innovation — a key factor in transferring research results into practical applications more quickly and effectively.”
How do other ecosystem players in the BRYCK Startup Alliance contribute to your corporate innovation?
“The decarbonisation of pipeline-based heat supply is essential for us as an institutional housing provider. In this context, we hope to gain valuable impulses and explore new forms of collaboration emerging from the Energy Hub.”
Why is it important to build an ecosystem rather than relying on single partnerships?
“We believe that an ecosystem approach accelerates the practical transfer of innovations. Interdisciplinary collaboration and shared infrastructures create the foundation for solutions that are scalable, sustainable and impactful.”
Looking ahead ten years from now: how would you describe a successful partnership?
“For us, reliability is essential. A strong and reliable partnership with the BRYCK Startup Alliance will help us integrate innovative technologies and approaches into our core organisation in a sustainable way.”
Startup Collaboration: Learning, Testing and Scaling Innovation
Have you had successful collaborations with startups in the past? Please share one or two highlights.
“Since 2017, VIVAWEST has conducted systematic PropTech screenings. Several pilot projects have been launched to test product and process innovations for their applicability in day-to-day operations and their strategic value for our organisation. This approach strengthens the trial-and-error culture needed for digital transformation and increases our capacity for innovation.”
What have you learned from these collaborations that could inspire others?
“Startup collaboration is always a give-and-take. Many PropTechs initially lack deep housing-industry expertise, and we are happy to support them during joint projects. This mutual learning process creates value for both sides and accelerates progress.”