Led by Professor David Hughes, the collaboration brings academic firepower directly into the company’s R&D efforts. Teesside’s expertise in low-carbon materials, decarbonization, and circular economy practices will support GreenCem’s ambition to bridge the often-cited gap between lab innovation and market-scale production.
The UK construction industry is under increasing pressure to slash greenhouse gas emissions by over 80% by 2035. SigmaRoc’s partnership offers a practical path forward: tapping into cutting-edge academic research and advanced testing facilities that would otherwise be out of reach.
Through this alliance, SigmaRoc gains direct access to Teesside’s Net Zero Hub, allowing close collaboration with the GreenCem Ventures team. The university will review GreenCem’s current R&D portfolio and identify fresh opportunities to embed decarbonization and digital systems into future products.
For SigmaRoc, the tie-up isn’t just about new technology — it’s about making those technologies commercially viable on an industrial scale. Rather than being limited to small-scale pilot projects, the partnership aims to move sustainable concrete innovations into widespread use.
According to Michael Roddy, Managing Director UK & Ireland at SigmaRoc, “With Professor Hughes and the Net Zero Team now fully aligned with our ambitions, we are substantially expanding both our technical depth and execution capacity. This partnership represents a major step change in our innovation capability.”
Professor Hughes continued “GreenCem is positioning itself at the forefront of sustainable construction, bringing proven technologies and expert partnerships together to deliver the next generation of low-carbon materials...We are bringing together innovation, research, and scale to deliver truly sustainable solutions to industry.”
