Global Network Unites in Panama to Advance Sustainable Concrete

20 Mar 2025 CW Team

The Innovandi Global Cement and Concrete Research Network (GCCRN) is hosting its Spring Week from March 17 to 21, 2025, in Panama City, bringing together delegates from over 40 academic institutions and 30 industry members to accelerate sustainable cement and concrete innovations.

The event aims to foster research that drives decarbonisation in the cement and concrete industry, aligning with the goal of achieving net-zero concrete by 2050.

“To reach net-zero concrete by 2050, collaboration beyond our industry is essential. Spring Week provides a vital platform for innovation,” said Davide Zampini, GCCRN Industrial Chair and Vice President of Global Research Development at Cemex.

Karen Scrivener, GCCRN’s Scientific Chair and Director at EPFL, highlighted the event’s importance, stating that it marks a milestone in advancing net-zero research through diverse global collaboration.

Spring Week enables industrial and academic leaders to engage directly with PhD students, postdocs, and researchers worldwide, all focused on decarbonising concrete.

Innovandi GCCRN connects industry and academia to drive pre-competitive research, investing €10 million annually, including €1.2 million dedicated to CO? reduction.

Sessions will explore key topics, including:

Alternative materials and processes
Concrete recycling innovations
Renewable energy integration
Kiln electrification
Carbon capture advancements

Spring Week aims to catalyse breakthroughs in sustainable concrete solutions, reinforcing global efforts to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.

Real Estate

02 Apr 2026

Indian real estate attracts USD 1.4 bn institutional investments in Q1 2026: Vestian

Institutional investments in India’s real estate sector touched USD 1.4 billion in Q1 2026, marking the highest first-quarter inflow since 2022, according to Vestian. While investments fell 62 per cent quarter-on-quarter due to an exceptionally high base in the previous quarter, they rose 74 per cent compared to the same period last year, reflecting sustained investor confidence despite rising geopolitical and macroeconomic challenges.Commercial real estate remained the key driver of investment activity during the quarter, accounting for 80 per cent of total inflows, sharply higher than 38 p..

VECV crosses 1 lakh annual vehicle sales milestone in FY26

VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), a joint venture between Volvo Group and Eicher Motors, has surpassed the 1 lakh annual sales mark in FY 2025–26, recording its highest-ever commercial vehicle sales performance. The company said it sold more than 100,000 vehicles during the year, marking a major milestone aligned with the original vision of the Volvo–Eicher joint venture.The strong performance was supported by demand across categories. Light and Medium Duty (LMD) trucks contributed 47,789 units, accounting for 46.1 per cent of total sales. Heavy Duty (HD) trucks recorded 26,867 units (25.9 pe..

Rodic Digital & Advisory partners SatSure to deploy EO intelligence in public sector

Rodic Digital & Advisory (RDA), the strategic advisory and digital transformation arm of Rodic Consultants, has signed a strategic cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SatSure to jointly pursue opportunities in India’s public sector. The collaboration aims to integrate high-resolution Earth Observation (EO) data and geospatial AI into government workflows to strengthen monitoring, compliance, and operational decision-making across key sectors.The partnership combines SatSure’s Earth intelligence capabilities with RDA’s expertise in government digital transformation and ..