Global Research Network Gathers in Panama to Accelerate Sustainable Concrete Solutions

The Innovandi Global Cement and Concrete Research Network (GCCRN) is convening its Spring Week from March 17 to 21, 2025, in Panama City. This pivotal event unites hundreds of delegates from more than 40 academic institutions and more than 30 industrial members worldwide to advance research and innovation in sustainable cement and concrete technologies.

The primary focus of the gathering is to foster actionable research aimed at driving decarbonisation in the cement and concrete industry to achieve net-zero concrete by 2050. 

Davide Zampini, GCCRN Industrial Chair and Vice President of Global Research Development at Cemex, emphasized the necessity of collective action, stating: “To achieve net-zero concrete by 2050, collaboration beyond our industry is essential. Spring Week serves as a crucial platform for exploring and harnessing innovative solutions.”

Karen Scrivener, GCCRN’s Scientific Chair, and Professor and Director of the Laboratory of Construction Materials at the EPFL in Lausanne, said: “This year’s Spring Week marks a significant milestone in our journey toward net-zero research, bringing together diverse perspectives to drive meaningful progress.”

The Spring Week gathering provides the key opportunity for industrial and academic partners to meet face-to-face with PhD students, Postdocs and researchers from all over the world. The global community is coming together with one focus in mind – to decarbonise the world’s essential building material, concrete.

Innovandi GCCRN is a world-class industrial-academic research network that connects the cement and concrete industry with scientific institutions. Its mission is to drive and support global innovation through actionable pre-competitive research, focusing on reducing the CO₂ footprint of concrete. The network engages over 450 scientists and invests approximately €10 million annually in research, including funding around €1.2 million specifically for CO₂ reduction initiatives. 

The sessions at Spring Week are designed to catalyse collaborative efforts and accelerate the development of low-carbon concrete solutions. Discussions and workshops will centre on critical topics such as:

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About cement and concrete: Cement is the glue that binds together concrete, and concrete is the glue that binds together modern society. Concrete is vital for modern infrastructure, including bridges, tunnels, homes, offices, and so much more. But because it is so widely used, it currently accounts for 7% of the world’s CO₂ emissions. That is why all the GCCA’s member companies, who represent 80% of cement production outside of China, as well as an increasing number of Chinese manufactures, have committed to delivering on net zero by 2050, in line with the GCCA’s Roadmap.

About the GCCA
The GCCA and its member companies, who operate in almost every country across the planet, have committed to reducing and ultimately eliminating CO2 emissions in concrete, which currently account for around 7% globally, through implementation of the GCCA’s Concrete Future 2050 Net Zero Roadmap – the first heavy industry to set out such a detailed plan. Together, the GCCA is committed to building a bright, resilient and sustainable concrete future for industry and for the world.