The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has announced a new challenge which Global Cement has devised, in order to help the global cement industry work towards reducing its emissions and therefore eventually achieving net zero concrete. The challenge has been named The Innovandi Open Challenge 2024 and it is a pioneering international programme which aims to bring together tech start-ups and leading manufacturers, as they work towards a common intertest of reaching net zero.

The first steps for this project to commence have been taken and currently tech start-ups all over the world are being encouraged to submit applications to be granted a place on this project. The start-ups being targeted are the ones that show a clear and active interest in the development of carbon capture use and storage for low carbon cement and concrete. The parties running this project are searching for innovative technologies and this could include process integrated and end-of-pipe Co2 capture and use. The main criteria for the technologies, is that they have to have the potential to capture carbon dioxide and prevent carbon being emitted into the atmosphere.

This is now the third year that this Innovandi Open Challenge has been running and the challenge has two previously successful ones behind it. The focus of the first challenge, which was held in 2022, focused on the development of carbon capture technology, which is the same as the current project. The project to focus on this first was very successful, as it led to two start-ups developing to where they are now, the pilot stage. The second challenge, which focused on developing low carbon concrete, also showed large success, as it ended with 15 start-ups being shortlisted. These short-listed companies are now in discussion with manufacturers and are forming partnerships in order to continue the work they started when entering the competition.

The GCCA’s Cement, Innovation and ESG Director, Claude Loréa, commented, “Our industry is committed to achieving net zero and the development of carbon capture technology is a key part of that work. Our world leading Innovandi Open Challenge programme has already seen remarkable progress being made in just two years, with start-ups and our member companies working together. We’re looking forward to seeing what this year’s applicants can bring, to build on the extensive work that is already underway across the world.”