The energy and environmental challenges ahead of us are tremendous; a reduction of the heat flow through opaque building elements remains a top priority. This is not only the case for new buildings but even more for existing buildings. Whereas in the past insulation layers in the building envelope yielded rarely more than 100 mm of thickness, the tightening of the requirements and targets will lead to substantially thicker layers with classical insulation materials. Especially for renovation, the thickness of internal or external insulation layers becomes a major issue of concern. Within these boundary conditions, there is a growing interest in the so-called superinsulating materials. This is highlighted by substantial investments in the EU 7th framework programme. One part of the challenge is to develop materials with very high insulating values, the other part is the development of appropriate applications and installation methods. Durability of performances is a complementary aspect for study.

This international symposium aimed to present an extensive overview of the state of the art in superinsulation, of new developments and of remaining challenges, addressing an audience interested in both the materials and the applications. This international symposium was the start of a process aiming at a new and broad international collaboration on superinsulating materials and applications for the next decade.