Ecocem creates an Advisory Council on Materials Science

This new Materials Science Advisory Council aims to support the development and adoption of low-carbon cement solutions worldwide.

Composed of eleven leading experts from international academic institutions, this Council continues the long-standing scientific collaborations undertaken by Ecocem. The work of these researchers has notably contributed to the emergence of ACT technology, developed by the company, which reduces CO₂ emissions by up to 70% compared to conventional cement.

Given that cement production accounts for nearly 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions, the Council's mission will be to structure and guide research and innovation efforts around three main areas:

• establish an annual assessment of scientific priorities for decarbonizing the cement and concrete sector on a global scale;
• analyze the progress resulting from international research programs and foster new collaborations;
• to provide independent scientific insight to public decision-makers, regulatory bodies and industrial players.

Strengthening coordination between science, regulation and industry

The creation of this Council directly reflects the lessons learned from the Paris symposium, which brought together renowned researchers and professionals from the construction sector. Discussions focused on the latest advances in next-generation, low-carbon cements, as well as their practical implementation on ongoing construction sites. These discussions highlighted a key challenge: strengthening coordination between scientific research, regulatory frameworks, industry, and funding to bridge the gap between technical innovation and large-scale adoption.

Donal O'Riain, founder and CEO of Ecocem, believes the conditions are ripe for a profound transformation of the sector. He argues that global decarbonization of the cement industry by 2040 is achievable—a decade ahead of current targets—without significant additional costs or systematic reliance on carbon capture. He emphasizes, however, the need for rapid alignment between research, public policy, and industrial practices to accelerate scaling up. He also calls for a diversification of approaches supported by public policy, which are currently too focused solely on carbon capture.

For her part, Roberta Alfani, Director of Research and Innovation at Ecocem, highlights recent advances in materials science, which now make large-scale decarbonization of cement possible through the use of alternative materials, without heavy investment. She nevertheless emphasizes the urgency of taking action and the Council's role in structuring an ongoing dialogue between academia, policymakers, industry, and funders, based on robust scientific data.

Further proof of Ecocem's commitment

This Advisory Council represents a new step in Ecocem's strategy, based on innovation and scientific partnerships to deploy low-carbon solutions on a large scale. Over the past ten years, the company has invested more than €70 million in research and development, notably through the recent creation of its state-of-the-art R&D center located in Chilly-Mazarin, Essonne.

The Council brings together the following individuals:

• Dr. Mohend Chaouche – Paris-Saclay University (France)
• Professor Martin Cyr – University of Toulouse (France)
• Professor R. Douglas Hooton – University of Toronto (Canada)
• Professor Kamal Khayat – Missouri University of Science and Technology (United States)
• Dr. Hongyan Ma – Missouri University of Science and Technology (USA)
• Professor Ciaran McNally – University College Dublin (Ireland)
• Professor Rafael G. Pileggi – University of São Paulo (Brazil)
• Professor Johann Plank – Technical University of Munich (Germany)
• Professor Francesca Ridi – University of Florence (Italy)
• Professor Ruben Snellings – KU Leuven (Belgium)
• Professor Arezki Tagnit-Hamou – University of Sherbrooke (Canada)

By structuring this international body, Ecocem intends to consolidate the links between basic research and industrial applications, in order to accelerate the transition to low-carbon cement deployed on a large scale.