Bianca Sereinig joined EUMEPS in July 2025 as Project Manager for thermal insulation and sustainability in construction. With a background in civil engineering and experience ranging from hands-on renovation work to standardisation activities, she brings a broad technical perspective to the association. In this interview, she reflects on her professional journey so far and shares her priorities for the months ahead in her new role at EUMEPS.
Welcome to EUMEPS, Bianca. What motivated you to join the association at this point in your career?
Since my civil engineering studies, I have been fascinated by the topic of energy efficiency. From my early years at the University of Applied Sciences and working alongside my father’s construction company, to my bachelor’s thesis “Energy optimisation of buildings – grey energy, determination of the primary energy content of a low-energy single-family home and comparison of different wall constructions”, and later my master’s degree in Biomimetics in Energy Systems, I have gained broad knowledge that showed me how many different perspectives exist on energy efficiency in buildings. Insulation—especially EPS—was always a key topic.
A job posting at the University of Applied Sciences led me to HIRSCH Porozell, where I gained deeper insights into the production and application of EPS. I worked closely with colleagues in production and sales on projects involving both customers and raw material suppliers. I had the opportunity to follow the full production stream, assess and steer product quality, and observe how the materials are applied in buildings. Still impressed by EPS and its versatility, it is now a pleasure for me to join EUMEPS and, hopefully, to help others appreciate its value as well.
You bring extensive experience in energy efficiency, building renovation, and standardisation. How do you see these areas contributing to EUMEPS’ work today?
As mentioned earlier, EPS always appears when we talk about energy efficiency and renovation. It plays a major role in energy savings, and its technical benefits, along with its contribution to climate goals, should be widely recognised. Communicating these benefits and gaining support for EPS at the European level will be a priority. When you combine its versatile use, ease of application, long-term durability, and sustainability, EPS becomes a clear choice. It can be a key factor in accelerating building renovation.
You’ve worked both in the private sector and in standardisation bodies like CEN and Austrian Standards. How do you plan to build bridges between regulatory frameworks and practical implementation?
I’m still at the beginning of my work in standardisation, so this is a new area for me. However, since my studies, I’ve been used to working with application and product standards. I’ve had time to learn how they function in practice. Following rules, guidelines and working with product characteristics according to standards is familiar to me.
Working with standards has helped me improve the suitability of products, processes and services for their intended purpose. Standards promote the exchange of goods and services and support technical and collaborative work. Now, working directly in standardisation, I hope to keep learning and contribute to this process.
For people who don’t often work with standards, they can seem complex in both content and scope. For example, applicators want to know how to install something properly, testing institutes are concerned with product quality, and regulators focus on matching the right product to the right application. Each of these perspectives needs to be addressed in the same standard, which isn’t always easy. That’s why I believe there is a gap in understanding, which often leads to frustration on different sides. I aim to help bridge this gap.
At HIRSCH Porozell, you were closely involved in product quality, application engineering, and innovation. Which of these topics will you be focusing on at EUMEPS?
In addition to excellent thermal insulation properties, EPS offers high compressive strength, low weight, and many more advantages. It also has a wide range of applications, supported by various product types. EPS can be used for ETICS, floor heating, lightweight concrete, roofs, underground applications, building blocks (including for pools), mounting elements, thermal barriers, and more.
My focus will be to communicate this diversity and these technical benefits to others. This means my work will touch on all of these topics.
As Project Manager, you’ll support initiatives related to external thermal insulation and sustainability in construction. What are the main challenges you anticipate, and how do you plan to address them?
EPS is a well-known product with a long track record. Yet we continue to learn from it every day, which keeps research, development and innovation in focus. The story of EPS continues, and we must keep advancing. In the early days of EPS, recycling wasn’t considered; now, we’ve already shown that EPS can be part of circular solutions. The challenge ahead is to identify and support future developments that contribute to a more sustainable way of living.
How important is it, in your view, for the EPS industry to actively engage in shaping European technical standards and regulatory developments?
As I mentioned before, standards help to promote trade and enable technical and collaborative cooperation. At both the European and national levels, using common standards is essential. A continuous dialogue between industry and standardisation bodies can strengthen the market and bring benefits to society. It also supports innovation, safety and competitiveness. I believe this is reason enough to stay involved.
You have hands-on experience with renovation projects and energy performance certificates. How can EUMEPS further support the uptake of energy-efficient building solutions across Europe?
When you walk through cities, you see many old buildings with poor energy performance. Significant efforts have already been made to create energy-efficient buildings, but many households still face high energy costs.
The solution is already known: renovation. Our goal must be to help close the renovation gap. This would lower energy bills and improve the carbon footprint. To make this happen, we need clear guidelines, appropriate funding, and practical planning support.
At the moment, the renovation rate across Europe is just over 1%. The goal is to at least double that figure. But there are several barriers. The first is financing. Subsidies are often paid only after the renovation is completed, which doesn’t work for low-income households. If someone manages to fund the work upfront, the next barrier is regulatory: permits take time and cost money.
And once those hurdles are passed, you still need to find the right companies, materials, and set up a clear work plan and timeline. It’s not a simple process.
Finally, what are you most looking forward to achieving in your new role at EUMEPS?
To keep it short: building bridges between applicators, industry and regulators. And sharing my interest in energy efficiency and EPS with others.
Conclusion
Bianca Sereinig brings both technical expertise and practical insight to her new role at EUMEPS. Her experience in renovation, energy efficiency and product application will support the association’s work on insulation and sustainability across Europe. Her focus on clear communication and bridging technical gaps reflects EUMEPS’ commitment to supporting practical, long-term solutions in the built environment.