360 Years of Building the Future: Saint-Gobain Champions Sustainability and Startups in Singapore
- Written by Media Outreach
Saint-Gobain celebrates its 360th anniversary at a gala night
With over 30 years of presence in Singapore, Saint-Gobain has been part of the Singapore story since the 1980s, with a strong focus on advancing Singapore's green building revolution through cutting-edge materials and nurturing startups that drive innovative construction methods through its venture capital and innovation arm, NOVA.360 Years Young: Continuing a legacy of transformation in the construction sector For 360 years, Saint-Gobain's innovative and sustainable materials and solutions have been transforming the built environment, enhancing the way we live, work and play across diverse settings, from homes to offices, schools, hospitals, industrial and recreational facilities. Saint-Gobain has provided its innovative products and solutions for the construction of iconic projects, including Bird Paradise, Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, and the recently launched Rainforest Wild Asia, amongst others.
For Saint-Gobain, the number 360 represents more than just its years of business – this also refers to their 360-degree approach around the world, where they develop high-performance, environmentally friendly solutions and optimise its industrial processes.
"At 360 years young, Saint-Gobain continues to be driven by a pioneering and innovative mindset.We are singularly focused on building better for people and the planet with circularity, decarbonisation and reducing environmental impact at the core of everything we do. As we celebrate this milestone over 360 days, we look forward to contributing our expertise to enhance the wellness of communities across 80 countries around the world, including Singapore and Malaysia, with more sustainable habitats and environments," said Lynette Siow, CEO Saint-Gobain Singapore & Malaysia.
Saint-Gobain cemented this milestone with a gala night that was held on 28 March at JW Marriott Singapore, attended by 260 of its partners, team members and customers, where the company reinforced its commitment to build a healthier, fairer, and more inclusive world and achieve its goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Being at the forefront of the green revolution in Singapore For over 30 years, Saint-Gobain Singapore has established itself as a trusted partner in the country, providing new and sustainable construction products and solutions, including tile waterproofing, building glass, fireproofing, concrete admixtures, and more. Bolstering its strategy to be a global leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain recently completed the acquisition of FOSROC, a leading construction chemicals company in Asia and emerging markets. The acquisition further expands Saint-Gobain's construction chemicals portfolio to include cement additives and grinding aids, reinforcing its commitment to providing advanced materials and integrated solutions.
At present, Saint-Gobain Singapore brings together 12 business units under one roof, delivering comprehensive solutions for energy-efficient buildings, healthier living spaces, and industrial decarbonisation that align with Singapore's Green Mark Certification and 2030 Green Plan.
Saint-Gobain has conducted significant investment in research and development to reduce their existing products' carbon footprint, through utilising renewable energy and low-carbon raw materials – lowering its overall footprint to 20-25% in 2017.
The company continues to make headway in its sustainability roadmap. This includes incorporating 30% recycled content in its packaging, as well as circularity projects to reduce its reliance on virgin raw materials, as well as offering low-volatile organic compound (VOC) paint and coatings and other light solutions.
Looking ahead, Saint-Gobain plans to expand its collaborations with Singaporean universities and government institutions such as the Singapore Green Building Council and the Building and Construction Authority while continuing to support the nation's ambitious sustainability targets through its net-zero carbon roadmap.
Accelerating innovation through NOVA Through its venture capital and open innovation arm NOVA, Saint-Gobain is actively shaping Singapore's construction technology landscape by investing in and partnering with promising early-stage startups focused on sustainable building materials, circular economy solutions, and construction productivity tools.
NOVA has already nurtured successful Singapore-based startups in its portfolio including Livspace, a tech-driven interior design platform, and C-Cube, which specialises in modular construction solutions.
NOVA continues to grow its collaborations with more startups in Singapore and Southeast Asia through initiatives such as the Sustainability Open Innovation Program with Enterprise Singapore, and through strategic partnerships, such as Saint-Gobain's collaboration with smart construction solutions provider DaFang AI to promote robotic wall finishing solutions in Singapore.
In 2023, the company launched the "Build the Future" startup challenge in partnership with Enterprise Singapore's Slingshot competition, scouting for innovative deep-tech solutions to transform the construction industry.
Building on this momentum, Saint-Gobain recently participated as a platinum partner and domain expert judge in the 2024 CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge, evaluating breakthrough solutions for construction decarbonisation and building wellness.
"Singapore's dynamic innovation ecosystem and commitment to green infrastructures present tremendous opportunities to be at the forefront of sustainable construction," said Lynette Siow, CEO of Saint-Gobain Singapore & Malaysia. "As we celebrate 360 years of global expertise, we're doubling down on our commitment to partner with local startups, researchers and developers to build Singapore's greener future."
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