Proptech companies must work together if the real estate industry is to achieve meaningful progress on ESG performance, according to Paul Wessels, founder of Blue Module, speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO Real 2025.

Wessels said rising pressure on owners and investors to cut costs, improve reporting and meet sustainability obligations is accelerating demand for integrated digital solutions rather than standalone tools.

“If you look at sustainability in ESG in general, it's still very important, especially in markets which are being competitive, like the office market and industrial, their costs are key. Bringing down the costs is key, and also reporting to your tenants and, of course, financing your real estate,” he said.

“We provide really an overview of your assets, a really holistic insight, but we work closely together with the likes of Freesi, which is measuring the air quality, or Waste Tracker, which is gathering waste information.”

He added: “Collaboration is key between the proptech players, because you need comprehensive information about your building to get really an insight on which you can act, and we've launched a collaboration with NTrust, because a lot of information which you need to properly report and get insight into your building is paper[-based].”

He said Blue Module’s partnership with NTrust demonstrates how shared capabilities can unlock new efficiencies. “NTrust have developed a great tool to get this information from paper with AI and also human intervention into usable digital information, and I think this will be a game changer for the industry,” he said.