R&D spending and innovation potential Innovation in Construction Materials

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1 R&D spending and innovation potential Innovation in Construction Materials Plenary Assembly Paris 25 October 2005 Markus Tschudin Ltd R&D spending of construction materials producers is slightly higher compared with the construction sector as a whole but Expenditure on R&D is only a measure of capacity to innovate and says little about the extent of innovation achieved Companies that bring together components in a unique way to deliver added value can be regarded as innovative Source: ECCREDI Study of Innovation in the Construction Sector 2 The process of innovation Innovation is not something that just happens: there has to be a culture, organisational structures and most of all top management commitment Innovation can also be triggered by legislative measures, e.g. reducing energy consumption of buildings In the construction sector innovation is often supported by knowledge and expertise on proven combinations of materials, products and systems ECTP Focus Area Materials Members from Aluminum Cementitious materials Ceramics Composite materials Glass Natural stone Steel Wood 3 4 1

2 FA Materials: Vision European building materials producers are recognized worldwide as innovative and competitive They develop knowledge based materials and applications with predictable and multifunctional characteristics Tailor-made products create a comfortable living environment These products serve customer needs while minimizing environmental impact throughout the entire lifecycle The result is a leading position of the European building materials producers and construction sector industry that attracts and employs well-educated people FA Materials: Importance of building materials Building materials form the basis of any kind of construction and determine Structural strength Aesthetic expression Safety and comfort Due to the volumes needed, the construction sector is the largest raw material consuming industry In Europe exceeds two billion tons per year Even small improvements in eco-efficiency and characteristics of materials have a high impact on the economics and environment 5 6 FA Materials Some of the Research Priorities Improve and develop materials, methods and procedures for Environmentally friendly production Insulating and heat storing capacity Multi-functionality Prediction of behavior during service life Durability and reliability Fire protection / resistance Surface treatment Reuse of demolition waste European building materials producers are world leaders - Example cement industry Facts about the cement industry 4 out of the top 6 cement companies are European European cement companies represent approx. 30% of global cement production capacity and the construction industry in general 40 60% of cost of construction is spent on repairs and maintenance About 10% of European GDP is spent on buildings and infrastructure Cement production accounts for about 5% of CO 2 emissions 7 8 2

3 Nanocem Consortium A European Industrial / Academic Partnership for Fundamental Research on Cementitious Materials Pre-competitive research Consortium agreement signed in April 2004 More that 30 academic and industrial partners Core projects funded by industry Industry partners fund research projects of academic partners are committed on a mid- to long term basis 9 10 Continuous trend towards eco-efficient cements Industrial by-products used as cement substitutes Total deliveries: 270 Mio t (2003) Source: Cembureau 33.7 % CEM I - Portland 1.5 % CEM V - Composite Cement & Others 5.0 % CEM IV - Pozzolanic 6.5 % CEM III - Blast furnace / slag 53.3 % CEM II Development since % Portland-slag 0.1 % Portland-silica fume 2.1 % Portland-pozzolana 5.7 % Portland-fly ash 0.2 % Portland-burnt shale 24.6 % Portland-limestone 14.5 % Portland-composite 1.8 % Unspecified Slag from iron production Fly ash from power plants Share of complex composite cements using a wide variety of substitute materials is increasing 11 Use of high amounts of by-products from other industries requires understanding of fundamental reaction mechanisms 12 3

4 Cement Companies engaged in other initiatives (1) World business council for sustainable development (WBCSD) - Cement Sustainability Initiative established in 1999 Actions agreed to monitor and publish CO 2 emissions from 2006 and to set up a climate change mitigation strategy Holcim Foundation promotes innovative approaches to sustainable construction Range of projects identified by independent regional juries* The best entries will compete for the global Holcim Awards to be announced in Bangkok in April Total prize money for the Holcim Awards cycle is USD 2 million Combination of construction materials: recycled wood, polyurethan coating, recycled plastic and recycled cement, Spain 13 * ETH Zurich, MIT Boston, Tongji Univ. Shanghai, São Paulo Univ., Univ. Witwatersrand, S. Africa 14 CEMROC - Durability and Eco-Efficiency Eco-cement with minimum environmental impact 95% reduction of CO 2 emission Extended service life time Durability Heat development High chemical resistance (sulfate, acid, chloride) High resistance to alkalisilica reaction Low permeability Very low heat of hydration Conclusions Component suppliers (materials, products and systems) together with contractors have to be better integrated in the construction process to identify relevant areas for innovation Integration of materials suppliers into the supply chain is a key success factor for innovation Materials suppliers will have to align with other stakeholders of the construction sector to overcome the current absence of established strategies for innovation within the sector European construction materials suppliers are determined to further strengthen their leading position and support the integrated approach as proposed by the ECTP initiative

5 and a last remark Invention is not sufficient for innovation Banana Protective Device (US B) Substance dispenser headgear (WO ) 17 5