Boral and the University of Technology Sydney have formed a five-year partnership to accelerate the research, development and commercialisation of low carbon concrete.
The joint University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Boral Centre for Sustainable Building has been established at UTS Tech Lab to aid research. The multidisciplinary research facility will allow Boral to access specialist equipment and UTS academic and technical staff.
Boral and UTS aim to advance Australia’s transition to a low carbon economy by delivering incremental and transformational steps for the building and construction industry.
Ross Harper, the Boral Group’s president for health, safety, environment, sustainability, innovation and operations excellence, said the company is passionate about product innovation and sustainability because it represents the future.
“It is strategically important to Boral in order to maintain its current position and respond to emerging trends, change and disruption,” Harper said. “We continue to invest in research and development with a focus on developing superior performing products and solutions for our customers that deliver a lower carbon footprint and use recycled content.”
Louise Keyte, Boral’s general manager of technology execution and a co-director of the UTS Boral Centre for Sustainable Building, said the partnership provides a pathway for everyone to work in a diverse and inclusive culture where thinking with an innovation mindset is supported.
“The partnership adds a richness to our organisation and is a significant step forward for Boral’s capability and our ability to deliver rapid solutions to our customers,” she said.
Professor Vute Sirivivatnanon, the co-director of the UTS Boral Centre for Sustainable Building, said partnering with Boral would significantly advance research into, and development of, construction materials at Tech Lab, increasing the size and capacity of its research team and accelerating the impact of their work.
“The Centre will also act as an incubator for the next generation of industry-focused researchers, providing them with the skills and experience to become industry leaders of the future,” Sirivivatnanon said.
As part of the partnership, Boral has sponsored eight scholarships for students to join researchers with a focus on providing sustainable solutions to key challenges facing the cement and concrete industry.