Cement Industry Leads Carbon Neutrality by Strengthening R&D Organizations

Cement Association, Inauguration Ceremony of the 'Korea Cement New Materials Research Consortium'

Attendees of the Korea Cement New Materials Research Association inaugural general meeting are taking a commemorative photo. From the front row, left to right: Yeom Hee-nam, Head of Korea Standards Association; Kang Hoon, Executive Director of Korea Goro Slag Powder Association; Dr. Min Kyung-so, Korea Ceramic Society; Jeong Hae-bung, Executive Director of Korea Cement Association; Lee Chang-gi, Vice Chairman of Korea Cement Association (Chairman of Korea Cement New Materials Research Association); Chu Dae-young, Executive Director of Ssangyong C&E; Kim Jin-man, Vice Chairman of Korea Concrete Society; Oh Hae-geun, Executive Director of Hanil Hyundai Cement; Yuk Cheon-su, Executive Director of Sungshin Cement. [Photo by Korea Cement Association]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] The cement industry is launching a research organization that will serve as a control tower for government research and development (R&D) projects, alongside developing carbon-neutral new technologies in the fields of cement, ceramics, and construction basic materials.

The Korea Cement Association, which includes seven major domestic cement manufacturers as members, will hold the inaugural general meeting of the "Korea Cement New Materials Research Consortium" on the 25th at The-K Hotel in Yangjae-dong, Seoul. The meeting will be attended by representatives from 20 companies, organizations, and universities related to ceramics and construction materials, including the Korea Ceramic Society, Korea Concrete Society, Korea Ceramic Technology Institute, Korea Concrete Testing Institute, Hanyang University, and Kongju National University.

The Korea Cement New Materials Research Consortium aims to promote industry development by jointly conducting research on common industry challenges such as carbon neutrality, which were previously managed and operated individually by each company’s R&D departments.

This initiative reflects the cement industry's recognition of the need for proactive joint technology development, separate from company-specific specialized research, to address various urgent issues faced by the industry, including the establishment of the Cement Green New Deal Committee and participation in the Carbon Neutrality Committee to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Lee Chang-gi, Chairman of the Korea Cement New Materials Research Consortium and Vice Chairman of the Korea Cement Association, stated, "The realization of carbon neutrality by 2050, which has been gaining momentum since last year, has emerged as an urgent and important policy issue. Through the formation of the Cement Carbon Neutrality Research Consortium, the cement industry will expand cooperation with related organizations, academia, and research institutes, contributing to the growth and development of the cement and related industries."

This year, the Korea Cement New Materials Research Consortium plans to establish and actively implement four business goals: discovering R&D technology items, stabilizing the research organization, building a cooperative network for project promotion, and supporting workforce development and commercialization to build R&D infrastructure.