Innovation & Partnerships
Innovation & Partnerships
Driving Innovation Further
Cemex drives sustainable construction through innovation and partnerships. Our R&D efforts develop cutting-edge materials and processes, reducing the environmental impact of construction. By collaborating with industry leaders, we deliver solutions that meet ambitious performance and sustainability goals, pushing the boundaries of construction.
60%
Of our R&D projects focus on CO₂ mitigation.
+30
Partnerships and collaborations with universities and start-ups.
+250
Projects on decarbonization, sustainability & digital.
How We Innovate
We use open and smart innovation to deliver value. Our venture capital backs tech startups, while global R&D develops in-house solutions to reach net-zero CO₂ by 2050.
Cemex Ventures
Cemex Ventures is our open innovation and venture capital unit that creates strategic opportunities through partnerships and investments in disruptive startups. With 23 startups in its portfolio, it also runs the world’s largest Construction Startup Competition, attracting around 500 startups annually.
Leaplab Acceleration Program
Cemex Ventures Leaplab accelerates high-potential startups in green construction, productivity, supply chain, and future construction. Since launch, it’s supported 10 startups globally with pilots in 15 countries, backed by 200 experts collaborating to tackle critical company challenges.
Partnerships
We collaborate with organizations to develop, source, and scale innovative solutions that will accelerate our transition to a carbon-neutral future.
Our joint effort with Synhelion aims to develop fully solar-driven cement production. This includes the production of clinker using only solar heat.
We partnered with Energy Vault to optimize composite materials, creating blocks for efficient electricity storage and discharge.
In close collaboration with COBOD, we developed a system for 3D concrete printing. This solution is universally applicable, economically viable and industrialized.
Breakthrough Innovation Projects
Clinker Micronization
Our Global R&D developed an innovative approach designed to decrease CO₂ emissions in cement production by reducing the size of clinker particles. This process called micronization, when combined with the use of proprietary admixtures, allows cement to significantly reduce its clinker factor per ton of cement, thereby minimizing its carbon footprint.
Carbon Nanomaterials
We are the first company in the cement industry to successfully convert CO₂ from flue gases emitted by the cement kiln into carbon nanomaterials, thereby transforming “bad” carbon into “good” carbon. Due to their unique properties, carbon nanomaterials have several potential applications in a wide array of industries, from construction to biomedicine.
Mineralization of Construction & Demolition Materials
We collaborate with Neustark, a swiss start-up, to permanently store CO₂ into recycled aggregates to be used in the production of new concrete. The first installation, in a Cemex recycling platform in the north of France, is to fix biogenic CO₂ in recycled aggregates from construction demolition waste, which are then to be used at the onsite ready-mix plant.
Building Information Modelling
Cemex uses BIM technology to boost efficiency and sustainability in construction. Our platform helps architects and builders improve workflows with innovative materials. Implemented in six countries, it supports better data management and project delivery.
Building a Better Future
Cemex is an industry-leading global construction materials and solutions company that drives innovation to help the world reach the next frontier of sustainable living. With our 100-plus year heritage, we are committed to achieving carbon neutrality through relentless innovation and industry-leading research and development. We stand at the forefront of the circular economy in the construction value chain and pioneer ways to increase the use of waste and residues as alternative raw materials and fuels in our operations. With a digitally enabled customer experience, we offer cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates, and urbanization solutions in growing markets around the world.
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