Global Cement (GC): Please could you introduce Innovandi?
Claude Lorea (CL): Innovandi is the innovation brand of GCCA, with an overarching aim of decarbonisation. It was established in 2020. There are two main strands that complement each other: the Global Cement & Concrete Research Network (GCCRN) and the Open Challenge.
The GCCRN is a consortium that brings together industrial partners and academics to conduct pre-competitive actionable research into cement and concrete. The industrial partners are GCCA members, equipment suppliers and admixture producers. They jointly fund 13 ‘core’ projects. There are also ‘partner projects,’ which are brought into the consortium by the academic partners. The findings of all projects - on topics like decarbonisation, carbon-capture, novel cement chemistry, concrete corrosion, AI, novel additives, calcined clays, concrete recycling, recarbonation, electrification, and so on, are disseminated within the network.
On the academic side, the GCCRN includes over 40 research groups that have been hand-picked for their expertise in cement and concrete research, either on the processes or materials side. Hundreds of experts attend GCCRN meetings and the network supports more than 75 PhDs.
Openness is key to the effectiveness of the network. We host meetings with more than 100 scientists, sharing information and collaborating together. The presence of industrial partners ensures that the research focuses on topics that are of direct relevance to the sector. It is a very fertile platform and it is fantastic to witness it in operation.
The first partner projects are starting to finish now, which is very exciting. Some could argue that it would be easier - and cheaper - for industrial partners to just wait to see the results. However, this is no substitute for allowing your in-house researchers to access preliminary results. These could help shape your own research programmes, in real time, across a wide range of topics.
GC: What is the Innovandi Open Challenge?
CL: The Innovandi Open Challenge is a programme for start-ups that runs for 12 - 18 months. The first was on CO2 capture and CO2 use in the value chain. GCCA put out a call to interested start-ups in May 2021 prior to the sourcing phase. We received more than 100 applications. GCCA members selected 20 start-ups and invited them to pitch. Members then identified the start-ups that they wanted to work with. In cases where three or more members expressed interest, GCCA set up a consortium - quickly and directly between its members. There were six consortia last time, 2-3 times as many as we had envisaged. There were also a number of matches that did not meet the criteria to form a consortium. These continued outside of the GCCA and we have many success stories to tell.
The six consortia became part of the Innovandi Accelerator programme. Some tested the members’ materials using the start-up’s technology. Some conducted feasibility studies and two developed pilot plants. The first Open Challenge ended with a demo-day in October 2022. This discussed the final results and presented key findings to the wider industry. This was a fantastic event as, due to the constrictions of Covid-19, it was the first time that any of the consortia had met in person.
GC: Will GCCA run the Open Challenge again?
CL: Yes - We have just launched the second Open Challenge on new materials for low-CO2 concrete. The launch was on 14 March 2023 and the sourcing phase will last until the end of May 2023. The demo-day has tentatively been scheduled for April 2024.
GC: Has anything come to market yet, as a direct result of Innovandi?
CL: Nothing has come to market yet per se, as Innovandi is still just three years old. There are many success stories, however. I am reluctant to name individual consortia, due to the potential to upset others! However, Coomtech has tested its novel drying technology with several GCCA members. Seven GCCA members have worked for six months with Fortera, which, despite being an older start-up, is gaining massive development and exposure thanks to the scheme. Another example is Carbon Biocapture, which is building a pilot capture plant at a GCCA member’s cement plant, with testing also carried out by three other members. It uses algae for CO2 capture, but - unlike other solutions - it uses algae that is already present in the water surrounding the plant. This is a really exciting and sustainable approach. The whole point of the Open Challenge is to expand our expertise to outside of the industry. We simply don’t know what approaches we will discover next. We get to go off the beaten track, which is great for the development of the sector.
GC: How would you like Innovandi to develop in the coming years?
CL: In the immediate future, we would like the second Open Challenge to have at least as many consortia as the first. Of course, we would prefer more. Hopefully, the success of the first Open Challenge will attract more start-ups this time around. If your start-up would like to pitch, don’t delay!
In the GCCRN, we are starting to see the results of the first partner projects and there are new projects and PhD students coming soon. Core projects have taken longer to set up and will be refreshed in due course. Overall, we want to expand the network, but not in a crazy way. It is already proving effective and it is very large. Indeed, there is no other such network in any other industry, as far as I know.
It is important to remember that Innovandi - indeed the GCCA itself - has achieved a lot in a very short space of time. Much of this was done under the limitations of Covid-19 too, so I am very excited to see what it can do without these limitations. We are still establishing the Innovandi brand within the industry and are demonstrating that our research activities and fostering of innovation are here for the long term. Exciting times lie ahead!
GC: Thank you again for your time today Claude.
CL: You are very welcome indeed Peter!
