STORY / PUBLIC SOURCE RECORD
BEAst Supply 4.0 enables environmental data sharing in building and construction industry
- Published 29 February 2024; updated 25 March 2026; estimated reading time 4 minutes. BEAst Supply 4.0 is a pilot under Byggstand, an information and competence centre for digitalisation in Norway’s building/construction sector. The project’s initial aim is standardized sharing of environmental data between companies. Its described vendor platform is free to use, machine-readable, intended to integrate with existing standard ERP systems, and designed to improve transparency, reduce transaction costs and support international competitiveness.
- The system connects suppliers through standard electronic data interchange (EDI). A change to electronic invoices allows suppliers to attach climate information for individual products. The documentation uses Environmental Product Declarations and expresses climate footprint in recognised measures such as global-warming potential. The project references ISO/IEC 19845:2015 and PEPPOL electronic invoicing/business-process standards.
- Byggstand project managers say rising circularity, climate and environmental requirements coincide with higher transaction costs. Standardised digital processes for packing, labelling and tracking goods are presented as a way to improve efficiency and make product-level climate information available to contractors and eventually buyers. Ole Gunnar Honningsøy says Norwegian purchasers can compare climate impacts when choosing vendors; the page also states businesses can select suppliers with better climate scores.
- The article claims the standardised processes can support cross-border trade: Norwegian vendors gain access to markets with strict environmental criteria, while foreign vendors can access Norway if they meet government environmental requirements. It says digitalisation can remove manual work and speed processes. Honningsøy estimates savings of NOK 1,200–2,000 per transaction; for 10,000 invoices, he gives up to NOK 20 million (about EUR 1.75 million). This is a project estimate, not a measured result reported in the article.
- Pilot participants named: BYGGMA Group, Skanska Norway and Saint-Gobain Distribution Norway. Byggstand membership spans building materials, electrical/plumbing, home manufacturing, GS1 barcoding and contracting. Contact: Ole Gunnar Honningsøy, ole.gunnar.honningsoy@byggtjeneste.no. Related industries: Architecture and construction and Technology.