LafargeHolcim to host innovation start-ups
Group to offer entrepreneurs access to offices, lab facilities and technical expertise at Lyon R&D Centre
A PLAN to scale-up access to innovative construction solutions through greater collaboration with entrepreneurs has been launched by LafargeHolcim.
The Start-Up Accelerator will offer young companies on-site accommodation and the use of the facilities at the Group’s Research & Development Center in Lyon, France, to develop, test, and market their solutions in construction and urban planning.
The project is building on LafargeHolcim’s existing experience of working with start-ups in areas that include sustainability, innovative construction systems and digital, as well as the Group’s extensive partnerships with customers, end-users and research facilities worldwide.
Gérard Kuperfarb, group head of growth and innovation at LafargeHolcim, said: ‘With the Start-up Accelerator, we are making a commitment to support young companies specializing in construction materials and construction solutions.
‘We can offer them a sophisticated laboratory environment and access to years of experience in creating and applying building materials in thousands of projects and challenging environments around the world.
‘In return, we believe that the start-ups will bring new ideas and new solutions that will change the face of construction in the coming years. We are committed to looking for new solutions for our customers, so having the opportunity to bring new ideas together with our own research and development will be invaluable.’
The Start-Up Accelerator will be open to entrepreneurs from around the world and will not only offer access to offices, laboratory equipment and testing facilities, but also to the Group’s network of technical experts and its commercial and market experience across all continents.
As part of the project, LafargeHolcim are also planning to partner with other companies to extend innovation projects along the construction value chain. The first young companies are expected to join the facility in mid-2017.
