Holcim has acquired Compañía Minera Luren. The company, based in the south of the Peruvian capital Lima, produces wall systems that combine energy-efficient insulation and special mortar. Holcim expects this to generate considerable synergies in Peru and Latin

For the first time, the German Institute for Building Technology has issued a general type approval for load-bearing clay block masonry using the thin-bed method. The GIMA vertically perforated clay brick may therefore be used for load-bearing walls up to building class 4. In combination with the

Holcim wants to focus on scaling up circular construction in Europe. In Latin America, industrialization trends and the demand for mega construction projects are set to drive the building materials group's growth. Holcim makes this clear in its NextGen Growth 2030

A climbing protection system from HighStep Systems AG now enables safe access to the top of a record-high flagpole in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku. A HighStep team provided technical support for the installation on

Implenia is to realise a rail infrastructure project for the Swedish Transport Administration. The contract, worth CHF 130 million, comprises the first construction phase for the new East Link railway

Switzerland is one of the leading countries of origin and destination for direct investment. This strengthens the competitiveness of the economy and brings technological innovations and capital into the country. At the same time, direct investments are increasingly the focus of political

DuraMon, which specialises in corrosion monitoring in concrete, has successfully completed a seed extension round of 1.6 million Swiss francs. This should enable scaling and expansion beyond the DACH region. Sika continues its support for

Sika has acquired HPS North America. The integration of the established supplier of building finishing materials in the USA into Sika USA is intended to advance Sika's market position in the Building Finishing segment on the American

Neustark has realised a system for the permanent storage of CO2 in demolition concrete at the joint venture RECULAR of the Oettinger Group and peterbeton. It can store 10 kilograms of CO2 per tonne of demolition concrete. The plant is the third of its kind from Neustark in

The historic San Agustín monastery in Badajoz, Spain, is being converted into a school of arts and crafts. Griesser was commissioned to fit the glazing of the cloister arcades with solar

Construction sites are among the most dangerous working environments in Europe. With the development of the CONCERT modular robot platform, the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) is setting a milestone in construction automation. The reconfigurable solution can take on heavy, dangerous and

After two years of weak growth, economic experts are forecasting an economic recovery for the canton of Vaud. The Vaud Economic Commission expects gross domestic product to grow by 1.8% in 2025 and to increase to 1.9% in the following year. Nevertheless, global uncertainties are clouding the

The economic consequences of natural disasters once again reached record levels in 2024. According to Munich Re, total global losses amounted to 320 billion dollars, 140 billion of which were insured. Hurricanes, floods and forest fires in particular caused immense costs. The losses are therefore

A South Korean research team has developed a high-performance one-component epoxy resin that sets new standards in terms of heat resistance, flame retardancy and mechanical stability. Thanks to an innovative latent hardener and the nanomaterial MXene, the new development offers outstanding storage

The latest study by the European Patent Office (EPO) highlights structural challenges in innovation financing and introduces the Technology Investor Score (TIS), a new indicator for identifying suitable investors. Supplemented by an expanded Deep Tech Finder, the EPO wants to provide European

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a photonic processor that performs AI calculations using light instead of electrons. The system enables ultra-fast data processing with minimal energy consumption and could revolutionise computer technology in the long

Partners Group has agreed to acquire Empira Group, a leading property investment platform. This strategic acquisition marks a turning point for the industry and supports Partners Group's growth ambitions in the residential and sustainability

The most important competition for sustainable design, the Holcim Foundation Prize 2025, is now open. With a global prize pool of USD 1 million, the competition is looking for innovative projects that promote sustainable construction methods and

Implenia has won tenders for major contracts in Switzerland and Germany. The construction contracts have a total volume of CHF 160

SIX Group is investing in the Spanish company OpenBrick. It is developing a digital platform for the issuance, management, trading and settlement of tokenised securities linked to real estate projects. It is due to receive its EU licence via the Spanish stock exchange in

The Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) is part of the European research project TIMBERHAUS. A total of 19 partners from ten countries want to promote timber construction in

On 21 and 22 November 2024, the EFTA/EU delegation from Switzerland will take part in the 62nd meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee of the European Economic Area (EEA) in Oslo. The focus will be on European competitiveness, the EEA Agreement and relations between Switzerland and the

Neustark has realised a second plant for the permanent storage of CO2 in demolition concrete in Kirchheim unter Teck near Stuttgart. Construction waste recycler Heinrich Feess GmbH & Co. KG can now mineralise 1000 tonnes of CO2 per

With the StEnSea project, the Fraunhofer Institute IEE has developed an innovative technology that transfers the principle of pumped-storage power plants to the seabed. Following successful tests in Lake Constance, a test run off the Californian coast at a depth of 500 metres will follow. A

Our cities and homes are often designed in such a way that they push people into dependencies and create barriers. A new perspective in architecture shows how spaces can be designed to be inclusive, supportive and socially

Sika has acquired the mortar company Chema in Peru. With this acquisition, Sika is aiming for growth in the dynamic market for mortar products and is creating new opportunities for cross-selling with related products from its

With the European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI), the European Space Agency (ESA) is opening a new centre for space innovation in Switzerland. In close collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), disruptive technologies in the fields of quantum research, materials research and

Dimanor adds Leica Geosystems' machine control and construction surveying solutions to its portfolio. This gives customers in the heavy industry from numerous states in Mexico access to the latest construction

Holcim's CO2 capture and storage project at its French site in Martres-Tolosane has been selected for a grant from the EU Innovation Fund. With this seventh major project subsidised by the EU, the building materials manufacturer wants to drive forward the Green

The Mukaab, a monumental building 400 metres high and wide, is being built in Riyadh and is planned to be the largest building in the world. The project is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 to prepare Saudi Arabia for the post-oil era. However, the history of other mega