Innovation

Continuous innovation has been the driving force behind the CO2 reductions the industry has achieved over the last decades. Innovations have unlocked greater kiln and energy efficiencies, clinker substitution, efficiencies in production and use of concrete production, and more recently this has included carbon capture technologies. Further innovation, especially in the field of CCUS and new cement chemistries, will help meet the targets outlined in this roadmap. The global cement and concrete industry has two world class innovation initiatives underway under the GCCA’s Innovandi activity.

Innovandi Global Cement and Concrete Research Network
Launched in 2020, the Innovandi Global Cement and Concrete Research Network is a consortium which critically brings together academia (40 leading global institutions) and industry (34 cement and concrete manufacturers, admixture companies, equipment and technology suppliers) to collaborate on essential pre-competitive research, in areas such as:

• energy efficiency
• efficiency of clinker production including alternative calcination technologies
• enabling implementation of CCUS/technologies
• understanding impact of new materials
• low carbon concrete technology
• concrete recycling.

Innovandi Open Challenge
The Open Challenge, launched in 2021, is a global programme to bring together start-ups with GCCA members to accelerate the development of technologies to help the cement and concrete sector decarbonise. The scope includes: 

• carbon capture technologies
• calcination technologies – for heating materials during the concrete manufacturing process
• carbon use in the construction supply chain
• improved recycling of concrete.