BACnet Interest Group Europe

What BACnet Interest Group Europe does

BACnet Interest Group Europe (BIG-EU) is a private, non-profit membership association (eingetragener Verein) registered in Germany and headquartered at c/o TEMA AG in Aachen. Founded on May 14, 1998 by 17 European and American building services companies including Siemens, Johnson Controls, Honeywell, and Schneider Electric, the organization promotes the successful use of the BACnet (Building Automation and Control Network) protocol — the global ISO 16484-5 data communications standard for building automation and control networks (ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 135) — across the European market.

BIG-EU's service portfolio is centered on interoperability and adoption rather than commercial products. It supports BACnet Plugfest interoperability testing events, promotes the global BACnet Testing Laboratories (BTL) product certification program, and runs the BACnet Academy Europe educational platform alongside a peer education resource (The BACnet Institute). The organization publishes three regional journal editions — the bilingual BACnet Europe Journal (39 issues since 2004), the French BACnet France Journal (15 issues), and the English BACnet Middle East Journal (11 issues) — and presents the annual BIG-EU Award at major industry trade fairs. Its go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, anchored by Spring and Autumn membership meetings, regional Open House and Forum events (Madrid, London), and a joint exhibition presence with EnOcean Alliance at ISH Frankfurt and Light + Building.

The business model is funded through recurring annual membership dues (pricing not publicly disclosed) from over 120 member companies spanning building automation manufacturers, system integrators, consulting engineers, facility managers, and end users, supplemented by advertising revenue from the BACnet Journals. BIG-EU maintains strategic liaisons with ASHRAE SSPC 135 (the BACnet Committee), BACnet International, BTL, The BACnet Institute, and regional associations including BACnet France and INBAC (India). The current President is Thomas Kurowski of Siemens, and the organization operates with 1-10 staff under a member-elected board governance structure that includes Technical, Marketing, and Facility Management working groups.

Name

BACnet Interest Group Europe

Legal name

BACnet Interest Group Europe e. V.

Website

https://big-eu.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BACnet Interest Group Europe (BIG-EU) is a German non-profit association that promotes the BACnet building automation protocol across Europe through interoperability testing (Plugfest), BTL certification, training (BACnet Academy Europe), and three regional journal editions serving over 120 member companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dortmund

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: BIG-EU operates as a membership-based association with companies joining to gain access to interoperability testing, educational programs, promotional activities, and the BACnet community network in Europe.
2. BACnet Journal Distribution: The BACnet Journals are provided free of charge to members, partners, press representatives, and friends of the association within Europe. The organization generates revenue through advertising placements in the journals, with discounted rates for members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

BIG-EU is a European user and industry association that promotes the BACnet protocol in building automation and control systems. It delivers interoperability testing through BACnet Plugfest events, educational programs via BACnet Academy Europe and The BACnet Institute, professional publications through BACnet Journals (English/German, French, and Middle East editions), and supports BTL product certification for vendor-neutral interoperability across HVAC, lighting, fire control, and security systems.

Product overview

BACnet Interest Group Europe (BIG-EU) is a European user and industry association—not a product company—that promotes the successful use of the BACnet protocol in building automation and control systems. Its portfolio consists of services rather than products: BACnet Academy Europe provides educational programs; BACnet Journals (Europe, France, Middle East editions) serve as professional publications; BACnet Plugfest offers interoperability testing events; BTL Certification facilitates product certification; The BACnet Institute provides online learning resources; and the BIG-EU Award recognizes industry excellence. These services support manufacturers, integrators, consultants, engineers, facility managers, and end users in advancing BACnet adoption across Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BACnet Academy Europe: Educational platform for BACnet training and certification in Europe

Products and services

• BACnet Academy Europe A comprehensive educational platform offering training and qualification programs for BACnet professionals in Europe, including self-paced online courses and certification preparation.
• BACnet Journals Professional journals covering BACnet standards and building automation topics, available in three versions: BACnet Europe Journal (English/German, 39 issues), BACnet France Journal (French, 15 issues), and BACnet Middle East Journal (English, 11 issues).
• BACnet Plugfest Regular interoperability testing event where building automation suppliers from across Europe test their BACnet products for compliance and interoperability with the standard.
• BTL Certification BACnet Testing Laboratories (BTL) product certification program providing global listing of certified BACnet products along with information on product testing and certification processes.
• BACnet Institute Comprehensive BACnet education resource featuring self-paced online courses, a curated Resource Library with articles, videos and presentations, plus an 'ask the experts' Community Forum.
• BIG-EU Award Annual award recognizing excellence and innovation in building automation using BACnet standards, traditionally presented during major industry events such as ISH and Light + Building trade fairs.

Quantifiable outcome

• BACnet is the global data communications standard for building automation and control networks
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, regional and flagship.

• ASHRAE SSPC 135 (BACnet Committee)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 1998The ASHRAE Standing Standard Project Committee 135 (SSPC 135) develops and maintains the BACnet standard. BIG-EU members actively participate in the committee and affiliated working groups, contributing to extensions, testing development, and certification of the BACnet Standard.
• BACnet Testing Laboratories (BTL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTL manages the global product certification program for BACnet products. BIG-EU promotes BTL certification and supports interoperability testing through its BACnet Plugfest events.
• The BACnet InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation resource providing self-paced online courses, curated Resource Library with articles, videos, presentations, and an 'ask the experts' Community Forum. BIG-EU provides links to this resource on its website.
• BACnet InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBACnet International provides community information, education, and promotion for BACnet including community events, case studies, news, and global developments. BIG-EU collaborates on joint initiatives including the 30 Years of BACnet celebration.
• BACnet France AssociationregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 2007 under the leadership of ACR (Automation, Climate Engineering and Regulation for Energy Efficiency in Buildings Trade Organization). Provides forum for manufacturers to promote BACnet in France with support from BIG-EU. Primary priorities: training, information, and communication.
• INBAC Association (India)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization bringing together stakeholders involved in building automation in India to champion sustainable, safe, secure, energy-efficient smart spaces. Facilitates successful use of open standards and protocols like BACnet through standardization, interoperability testing, events, seminars, training programs, and promotional activities.
• EnOcean AllianceflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIG-EU has joined forces with the EnOcean Alliance for joint exhibition presence at Light + Building trade fair. The partnership enables combined booth space at Hall 9.0 entrance, one of the most attractive exhibition areas, for coordinated building automation industry promotion.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BACnet International: Global community organization for BACnet promotion, education, and events. Directly comparable as a sister trade association pursuing the same mission and overlapping membership across geographies; BIG-EU collaborates with BACnet International on the '30 Years of BACnet' initiative.
• ASHRAE SSPC 135 (BACnet Committee): The ASHRAE standing committee that develops and maintains the BACnet standard. BIG-EU members participate in SSPC 135, making it the upstream standards body that defines the technical foundation BIG-EU promotes.
• LonMark International: Industry organization promoting interoperability for LonWorks-based building automation systems. Comparable as a smaller competitor standards body focused on multi-vendor device certification and educational programs.
• EnOcean Alliance: Promotes the EnOcean wireless standard for battery-less building automation. Comparable as a European-headquartered industry alliance running education, certification, and joint trade fair programs; BIG-EU partners with EnOcean Alliance for joint exhibition booths at Light + Building.
• BACnet Testing Laboratories (BTL): Operates the global BACnet product certification program. Comparable as the testing and certification counterpart within the BACnet ecosystem; BIG-EU promotes BTL certification and runs interoperability Plugfest events that feed the certification pipeline.
• The BACnet Institute: Online education resource offering self-paced BACnet courses, a Resource Library, and expert community forum. Comparable as the education arm within the broader BACnet ecosystem, partnered with BIG-EU to deliver learning content.

Broad incumbents

• KNX Association: Promotes the KNX open standard for building automation, the principal competing communication protocol to BACnet in European residential and commercial buildings. Comparable as a standards-promotion association with similar education, certification (KNX Certified Installer), and member-driven model.
• CABA (Continental Automated Buildings Association): North American industry association for intelligent buildings and home automation. Comparable as a broader-scope trade association driving research, education, and advocacy across building automation technologies, partially overlapping with BIG-EU's mission.

Regional players

• BACnet France Association: Founded in 2007 under ACR to promote BACnet in France. Comparable as a regional sister organization with the same mission and member-driven model, focusing on training, information, and communication in France.
• INBAC Association: Indian non-profit promoting open standards including BACnet for building automation. Comparable as a regional sister association pursuing standardization, interoperability testing, events, and training programs, coordinated with BIG-EU.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/big_eu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BIGEUBacNet
• Facebookfacebook.com/BACnet.Interest.Group.Europe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-eu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about BACnet Interest Group Europe