Be better every day

Innovation is critical for our future: we stay relevant for our customers, improve our operations and attract talent that is eager to work in a company that is willing to adapt.

We continuously invest in the latest technologies, efficient energy solutions, materials and processes.

Innovation is a driver of many of our initiatives that can be found in this sustainability report:

With our “green concrete” approach we reduce the environmental impact of our precast elements.

Doubling down on digital construction technology helps us building faster and more efficient. Like C-flow, a technology that helps streamlining all players involved in the construction process and increase the speed of building.

We also promote a culture of continuous improvement, in line with our value “Be better every day”. Employees can share ideas how to improve daily work or processes. The best ideas are granted a price.

Launching or participating in innovative start-ups

The vertical integration of our companies along the supply-chain is one of our success factors. We regularly evaluate whether we have white-spots in the construction process.

Especially in the past four years we committed to this approach by launching dedicated entities. Alternatively, we participate in start-ups, where we usually opt for a stake of at least 50%.

In the C-innovation division, we gather start-ups and scale-ups that are focusing on sustainable and innovative products, like C-fire, C-biotech (hemp-based products), Sobeltec (paints and coatings) and C-ground (energy hills and soil remediation).

New business models like Energy or Heat as a Service are combined in C-energy. C-battery engineers and assembles industrial battery racks.

In the C-tech division, companies linked to building techniques are gathered, like Powerstation (charging poles for EV’s), Flywel (drones) or ForGrowth (software).

Biodegradable, PFAS-free fire extinguishers

With our innovative and environmentally-friendly equipment and systems, C-fire offers a sustainable solution for firefighting.

We have developed extinguishing fluids that are free of fluorine, a component of PFAS which is harmful to the environment. European legislation is in the making to phase out fluorine-free fire extinguishers fluids.

Our products are just as effective as previous systems but much more sustainable. Rather than waiting for legislation to be finalised and implemented in Belgium, we have already included products in our assortment that meet these requirements.

To further enhance our product range, we have developed a 100% biodegradable fire extinguishing spray for small or early fires, called Control Fire. This product is also safe to use on humans as it does not cause irritation or harm if it ends up on sensitive areas such as the face, mouth or eyes. Additionally, Control Fire can also cool down and extinguish fires in batteries.

We take safety seriously, which is why all of our lithium-ion batteries of C-battery include fire extinguishing tubes, increasing the safety of the batteries.

Find a video online: https://www.youtube.com/embed/vbpSrg5cahE?&controls=1&autoplay=1&mute=1

Innovation scouting

In order to be up-to-date on relevant new start-ups that could us help succeeding in our mission, we regularly scout the market. Additionally, we are part of a number of initiatives that match us with interesting companies.

RecAP is the Resilient Cities Accelerator Program for startups and corporations. Their mission is to create livable, lovable and climate friendly cities of tomorrow! They serve as sparring partner to address these challenges by creating meaningful connections between startups and corporations and setting up the perfect innovation track.

In 2023, Cordeel Group is one of the three platinum sponsors. We got in contact with promising start-ups and three of our innovation companies joint the program as well to accelerate their sales.

Rise PropTech Fund is a hands-on venture capital fund dedicated to Late-Seed and Series A startups active in the PropTech sector.

Rise PropTech Fund aims to support the transformation of the European PropTech sector, by enriching the existing eco-system, attracting promising young companies, encouraging the different actors within the sector to collaborate and exploit potential synergies. They invest in startups having the ambition and the potential to change the construction & real estate industry in Europe.

Facilitating innovation

Living Tomorrow

A 50-meter-high tower with a total usable area of over 6700 m2, spread over 14 floor which house a hotel, meeting and event center, office space, and an innovative ‘chef’s table’ on the top floor.

In their brand new Innovation Campus you can take a tour through six experience zones which allows us to experience what life will be like after 2030.

Cordeel is a among the 80 partners of Living Tomorrow that have the joint ambition to act as a catalyst and accelerate innovation.

We incorporated bricks produced with CO₂ and residual flows from the steel industry, recycled paints and recover grey water.

FacThory

FacThory, or “the factory of the future” as it is called, will be a multifunctional building of 30,000 square meters with modular production, laboratory, and testing spaces, as well as offices. Numerous companies will be able to use it to develop and test processes for automation, digitalization, and robotics.

It is a new milestone in the development of Thor Park and for anchoring Genk as the third industrial hub of Flanders.

In the first phase of the overall project, we realised a building of 3,500 square meters of production floor, 1,000 square meters of laboratory and testing spaces, and 3,500 square meters. Imtech was responsible for the building techniques.

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Cordeel Reports

Innovation