IBO

1. Review IBO's product criteria: Visit ibo.at and identify whether your product category has published IBO testing criteria. Categories include insulation materials, floor coverings, paints and coatings, screeds, adhesives, and more. New criteria (e.g., for screeds and precast concrete) are published periodically.

1. Contact IBO for a pre-assessment consultation: Reach out to IBO's product testing team to discuss your product, applicable criteria, and the testing process. IBO can clarify which tests are required and provide a cost estimate.

1. Prepare product documentation: Compile technical data sheets, material safety data sheets, ingredient/recipe declarations, and any existing third-party test results relevant to your product's environmental and health properties.

1. Submit product samples and documentation: Send product samples and the required documentation to IBO's laboratory and expert team for evaluation. IBO assesses environmental and health-related properties across the full product life cycle.

1. Undergo laboratory testing and expert review: IBO's team conducts testing against published criteria covering raw material sourcing, manufacturing, use phase (including emissions and indoor air quality), and end-of-life/recyclability.

1. Receive assessment results and address any gaps: If your product does not initially meet all criteria, IBO will communicate the shortfalls. You may reformulate or provide additional documentation before a final decision is made.

1. Receive the IBO label and sign the licensing agreement: Upon successful certification, you sign a licensing agreement with IBO and receive the right to display the IBO Prüfzeichen (test mark) on your product and in marketing materials.

1. Maintain certification: Monitor IBO's criteria updates for your product category and plan for re-testing at renewal to ensure continued compliance.

The IBO label evaluates building materials and interior products across their full life cycle, from raw material extraction through manufacturing, use phase, and end-of-life. The assessment framework is grounded in building biology (Baubiologie) and building ecology (Bauökologie), combining environmental performance with indoor health considerations.

Raw materials and manufacturing: IBO examines the origin and nature of raw materials, prioritizing renewable, regionally sourced, and low-impact inputs. Manufacturing processes are assessed for energy consumption, emissions, and use of hazardous substances. Products containing substances of very high concern (SVHCs) or restricted chemicals under REACH are generally excluded.

Use phase — indoor air quality and emissions: A central focus is the health impact of products during use. This includes testing for volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, formaldehyde, biocides, and other substances that may affect indoor air quality. Products must meet strict emission limits relevant to their application context (e.g., flooring, wall coatings, adhesives).

Use phase — building physics performance: Depending on the product category, thermal performance, moisture regulation, and acoustic properties may also be assessed to ensure the product performs as claimed in its intended application.

End-of-life and recyclability: IBO evaluates the potential for product reuse, recycling, or safe disposal. Products that contribute to circular construction practices are viewed favorably. Criteria for specific categories (e.g., screeds, precast concrete elements) are updated regularly to reflect current scientific knowledge and market developments.

Documentation and traceability: Manufacturers must provide full ingredient transparency and supply chain documentation. IBO's criteria are published for each product category, and assessments are conducted by IBO's in-house scientific team with expertise in building materials, chemistry, and ecology.

The IBO label is a well-established, scientifically rigorous product certification within the Austrian sustainable construction ecosystem. IBO — the Austrian Institute for Building Biology and Ecology — has been a trusted independent research and testing organization in Austria for decades, and its product label carries significant credibility among architects, planners, and building assessors in the German-speaking market. The label is referenced within the klimaaktiv building standard (Austria's national sustainable building program) and the ÖGNB (Austrian Sustainable Building Council) assessment framework, giving certified products a pathway into green building projects that use these rating systems.

In terms of market reach, the IBO label is primarily recognized in Austria and, to a lesser extent, in neighboring German-speaking countries (Germany, Switzerland). It does not have the pan-European recognition of the EU Ecolabel or the international reach of natureplus, which is the most directly comparable competitor in the natural and ecological building products space. Manufacturers seeking broader European or global market access typically pursue natureplus, Blaue Engel (Blue Angel), or EMICODE alongside or instead of the IBO label. However, for companies specifically targeting the Austrian market and wanting to align with local green building standards, the IBO label remains a meaningful differentiator.

Demand for eco-certified building products in Austria is growing, driven by tightening EU regulations on construction product sustainability (including the revised Construction Products Regulation), increasing adoption of whole-life-carbon assessment in building projects, and growing consumer and specifier awareness of indoor air quality. IBO's active research role — including participation in EU-funded projects and publication of the IBO Magazin — keeps its criteria current and its reputation strong. The label faces competition from digital product declaration platforms and EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) databases, which are increasingly required by building rating systems, but the IBO label's health-focused criteria and indoor air quality emphasis remain a distinct value proposition not fully covered by EPDs alone.

IBO — the Österreichisches Institut für Baubiologie und -ökologie (Austrian Institute for Building Biology and Ecology) — was founded in Vienna in 1990 as an independent, nonprofit scientific association. It emerged from the growing awareness in the late 1980s of the health and environmental impacts of building materials, particularly concerns about indoor air quality, toxic emissions from synthetic materials, and the ecological footprint of construction. IBO was established to provide scientific research, testing, and guidance at the intersection of human health, buildings, and the environment.

The IBO product label (IBO Prüfzeichen) was developed as one of IBO's core activities, providing manufacturers with a credible, science-based certification for building materials and interior products that meet strict environmental and health criteria. Over the decades, IBO has expanded its testing criteria to cover a wide range of product categories and has regularly updated its standards to reflect advances in building science, chemistry, and sustainability. IBO also operates as a commercial testing laboratory (IBO GmbH) alongside the nonprofit association, enabling it to offer product testing and certification services on a fee basis. IBO has been an active participant in the natureplus network — an international association for sustainable building products — and contributes to Austrian and European policy discussions on sustainable construction, including the klimaaktiv program and ÖGNB framework.