Leading building solution provider Holcim Philippines launched “The Hub,” a virtual reality innovation facility that showcases sustainability and innovative building solutions at Holcim Davao Plant in Davao City on Tuesday, January 16, 2024.
The facility in Davao City was opened to enable partners to virtually experience the global Holcim Innovation Hub, which features a virtual reality facility that brings visitors to the Holcim Group’s research center in Lyon, France.
The first innovation hub in the Philippines, it is located on the second floor of the Holcim Davao Plant in Barangay Ilang, Bunawan District, Davao City that will enable customers to explore Holcim’s innovations to decarbonize buildings across its lifecycle. Among the solutions displayed are low-carbon materials such as ECOPact concrete and ECOPlanet cement, and circular construction solutions such as Holcim’s propriety ECOCycle circular technology platform, which recycles construction demolition materials into new building solutions.
Holcim Philippines president and chief executive officer Horia Adrian said the company will be able to showcase to their customers the latest sustainability-related innovation.
“What we are going to do is make available to anybody who would like to see what are the latest innovations in terms of construction, techniques, sustainability, performance in construction, way of building materials right here in Davao. We will be able to show using virtual reality the same thing that you can see,” Adrian said in a press conference.
Ramakrishna Maganti, senior vice president for infrastructure and industrial sales of Holcim Philippines, said with this innovation they are confident that this will help their customers in Davao and the Philippines to embrace innovations.
“What this innovation hub is going to do is to give people exactly the experience. We are banking on a very new technology called the virtual reality technology aiming to help the customers in Davao to experience,” he said.
Maganti said aside from their customers, one of the biggest segments they want to engage with are the policymakers like government agencies to experience the innovation and give them ideas on how to change the policy accordingly.
He added that they are also targeting structural engineers and architects.
“These are the people who we want to come here and experience the solutions and hopefully, they have a better perspective of their experience.
Maganti also said they can also open the hub for the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and students.
Adrian added that opening the innovation hub showcase room in Davao is part of the company’s commitment to support the country’s development.
He also said this is important in Mindanao which can benefit from innovative solutions so essential structures are built with less impact on the environment while contributing positively to the environment.
“The Davao hub is the first in the Philippines. I think the people in Davao are more open to innovations,” he said.
Holcim Philippines is accelerating its transformation as a sustainable and innovative building solutions provider with a focus on advancing decarbonization and circular economy in the construction industry.
The company’s carbon footprint reduction program is aligned with the Holcim Group’s Net Zero direction and the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions.
