The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) represents the worldwide cement and concrete industry, which is liable for producing essentially the most used man-made substance on earth. GCCA advocates for transforming concrete right into a sustainable, long-lasting, and robust constructing material to satisfy the increasing demands of the exponentially expanding urban population. In 2021, it launched the industry roadmap to net zero, outlining the levers and pathways to providing the world with net zero concrete. The GCCA Innovandi Open Challenge 2023 is a singular global accelerator that goals to bring together technology startups and the leading cement and concrete firms worldwide to speed up the event of modern solutions to realize net zero, as set out in its roadmap.
Recognizing the critical role of innovation in making a sustainable future, GCCA and its members, who’re global leaders within the cement and concrete industry, are committed to expanding their innovation ecosystem and collaborating with external partners to realize their net zero mission.
What’s in Store for You if You Apply for the GCCA Innovandi Open Challenge 2023?
Through the Innovandi Open Challenge, GCCA seeks to fast-track the event and adoption of technologies that support the transition towards a net zero future. Apply today to collaborate with GCCA and make that occur! Chosen startups will gain unique access to:
- Support to maneuver from ideas to pilot tests, proof of concepts, prototypes, and business cases.
- Extensive plants, labs, and research facilities.
- Expertise and infrastructure of 40 members worldwide to showcase innovation.
- Guidance from the GCCA and its industrial members of nominated lead experts to assist the startups progress within the industrialization of their technology.
- Develop latest technologies and/or define latest business cases with one or several industrial members.
- Members of the GCCA manage the project with each chosen startup and offer resources, support, and training to co-develop the business.
- High visibility within the cement and concrete sector, in addition to equipment manufacturers, broader value chain players, investors, and wider stakeholders.
Constructing on a Successful Track Record
The GCCA and its members account for 80% of worldwide cement production capability. Member firms are committed to reducing and ultimately eliminating CO2 emissions in concrete (which currently account for around 7% of worldwide emissions), through the implementation of the GCCA’s Concrete Future 2050 Net Zero Roadmap – the primary ‘heavy’ industry to set out such an in depth plan.
The launch follows the success of last 12 months’s first-ever Innovandi Open Challenge, which saw cement firms partnering with six startups, with a powerful deal with carbon capture and utilization projects. Three of those projects have already gone to the pilot stage!
Claude Loréa, GCCA Cement Director and Innovation Lead says, “We’ve already seen some remarkable progress from those startups who’ve been working with our members on the primary Innovandi Open Challenge, with several projects already within the pilot stage. This 12 months’s theme, low-carbon concrete, is equally difficult. To succeed, we want products which are reasonably priced, scalable, and simply adopted. Good luck to all this 12 months’s applicants. We look ahead to working with those chosen.”
Are You a Good Fit to Apply for The GCCA Open Innovation Challenge?
GCCA is in search of startups working on latest materials or ingredients for low-carbon concrete. This includes modern admixtures, SCMs, clinkers, aggregates, etc. It needs to be ready-to-use and a direct ingredient to concrete. Other judging criteria are as follows:
- How Modern and unique is the answer?
- Performance comparable to traditional concrete
- Lower carbon footprint than traditional concrete
- Environmental / sustainability assessment
- Is the technology to supply Low Carbon Concrete?
- Is it water intensive?
- Is it energy intensive?
- Any waste heat utilization requirement?
- Another prerequisites for the method?
Please also note, GCCA is NOT in search of:
- Alternate fuels or low-carbon fuels
- Carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies
- Process or method for producing low-carbon concrete
Structure & Timeline of the Open Innovation Challenge
After rigorous evaluation of all of the entries, GCCA will announce the shortlisted startups. They might be invited to pitch in front of the GCCA members. Successful startups will get to partner with GCCA members to form consortia and enter into formal working partnerships.
- Application Deadline — fifteenth May 2023
- Announcement of Final Shortlist — thirtieth May 2023
- Pitch Day — thirtieth June 2023
- Consortium Agreement Meetings — 1st to fifteenth September 2023
- Demo Day (Showcasing the Results of the Consortia) — April 2024
Apply for the GCCA Innovandi Open Challenge 2023 in a Few Easy Steps
Are you a superb fit for the challenge and able to expand your small business? Great! Wait no further and send all of your entries to openchallenge2023@gccassociation.org by fifteenth May 2023 including the next details to use for the challenge:
- Name of your startup:
- Describe your innovation (100-150 words):
- Name of applicant and designation:
- Yr of incorporation:
- Location:
- Stage of your startup (Proof-of-concept/ Pilot / Prototype/ industrial):
- What’s the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of your technology? (1 being within the research phase and 9 being able to launch a industrial product):
- Do you have already got customers? (Yes/No)
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