Charles-Albert Florentin, what do you remember about the year 2021 that has just ended?
“It was obviously a complicated year in terms of health, but several concrete circular economy projects in the field of construction that Luxinnovation managed received active support from private Luxembourg players.
I also recall the strong impact of climate change on the territory and its forests. The mix of droughts and floods has strongly affected certain areas and communities in the country.”
What are the major challenges facing your sector in 2022?
“I see three main challenges. The first is to optimise the consumption of water, energy and material resources while replacing a large proportion of fossil fuels with renewable energy. Secondly, industry and the construction sector need to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. And finally, we must achieve a considerable reduction in waste production by favouring eco-design in the product creation and design cycle and by supporting the implementation of concrete circular economy projects (prevention, reuse, recycling, etc.).”
What are the main projects that the Luxembourg CleanTech Cluster is working on?
“One of the major projects we are pursuing is the establishment of a deconstruction platform, which will provide an outlet for the products and materials recovered during the selective deconstruction of buildings.
Then, we are involved in the evaluation of the deposit of aggregates from demolition as it could be in 2100 and the realisation of a feasibility study on the recycling of concrete in Luxembourg.
We are also involved in the search for solutions for the recovery of organic waste, particularly through the reduction of food waste and methanisation.
Finally, we will support the training of master students at Sacred Heart University in the field of circular construction.”