CLUSTERING AND COOPERATION
A.SPIRE
A.SPIRE is a European Association committed to managing and implementing the Processes4Planet co-programmed partnership. A.SPIRE represents 20% of the European manufacturing sector, with 180+ stakeholders from 20+ countries in industries like cement, ceramics, chemicals, engineering, minerals, non-ferrous metals, pulp and paper, refining, steel, and water. Their mission is to develop technologies and practices for resource-efficient large-scale value chain production.
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A.SPIRE collaborates with numerous industry associations including CEMBUREAU (cement), Cerame-Unie (ceramics), Cefic (chemicals), European Aluminium, IMA-Europe (industrial minerals), Cepi (paper), the European Fuels Manufacturers Association, ESTEP (steel), and WaterEurope to enhance sustainability and innovation in their respective fields. More about all the sectors involved in the assciation can be found here.
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Processes4Planet (P4Planet) is a European public-private Partnership between A.SPIRE and the European Commission, aimed at transforming European process industries to achieve climate neutrality and circularity by 2050 while enhancing global competitiveness.
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A.SPIRE has launched the booklet featuring Carbon4Minerals project titled Innovation and Sustainability in the European Process Industries: Processes4Planet Partnership Projects 2021 and 2022, highlighting 27 projects funded by the European Union through the P4Planet partnership, organized under five themes: renewable energy integration, carbon capture and utilization (CCU), materials circularity, digitalization for traceable value chains, and Hubs4Circularity.
CO₂TREAT Project
CO₂TREAT is an EU (Era-MIN3) funded project which aims to develop low-carbon, resource-efficient binders for durable concrete and civil engineering applications by partially replacing Portland cement with secondary materials treated with CO₂. The project focuses on using industrial by-products like steel slag and fly ash, which undergo CO₂ treatment to create stable mineral carbonates, promoting circular design and increasing resource efficiency.
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Specific objectives include CO₂ treatment of high-volume industrial residues, recovering metallic iron from steel slags, and designing sustainable binders that meet performance standards.
RILEM TC
Technical Committee MCP - Accelerated Mineral Carbonation for the production of construction materials. This TC will mainly address the relationship between material characteristics and processing parameters. An important part of the activities will involve the consolidation of recent developments in the field and building consensus on their classification, definition of terms and assessment. This part will mostly involve surveying, reviewing and analysing existing data.
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RILEM advances scientific knowledge in construction materials by fostering international collaboration and promoting sustainable, durable construction methods to address global challenges. Its vision is to improve safety, sustainability, and performance in the construction sector through innovative research and testing.
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RILEM coordinates Technical Committees, organizes international conferences, and publishes research to advance construction materials and systems. With members from over 70 countries, RILEM collaborates with academic, research, and industrial partners to promote sustainable construction practices.
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The 1st RILEM International Conference on Mineral Carbonation for Cement and Concrete, co-organized by Carbon4Minerals and CO₂TREAT, was held April 16–17 in Aachen, Germany, bringing together experts to discuss reducing CO₂ emissions in cement and concrete production.
With 160 participants from research, academia, and industry, the conference focused on range of innovative projects, such as CO₂TREAT and Carbon4Minerals. Some key talks were from institutions such as VITO, RWTH Aachen, and HM. You can read more about their work in the conference proceedings.
The success of this conference has paved the way for continued global collaboration, with a second event already announced for 2026 in Japan.
PORTALS
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Enlit Europe
Enlit Europe is a dynamic and inclusive platform dedicated to advancing the energy transition in Europe. With a mission to connect industries, inspire action, and facilitate the evolution towards a decarbonized and digitalized energy system, Enlit strives to deliver clean, affordable, and reliable energy for all. Enlit's digital platform, Enlit.World, attracts over 170,000 unique users per month.
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BUILD UP
The BUILD UP web portal is the largest portal and principal reference point for energy efficiency and renewable energy related to the building and construction sector in Europe. It aims at exchanging information and features the latest events, news, and developments at both the technical and practical levels, policy legislation, financial issues and aspects, and much more.
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ECTP
The European Construction, Built Environment and Energy Efficient Building Technology Platform (ECTP) is a leading membership organisation promoting and influencing the future of the Built Environment. They connect people and organisations from across the supply chain, helping us work collectively to improve our position on many societal and industrial issues including energy, climate change, efficiency and infrastructure.