From October 31, 2024 to November 3, 2024, Vietnam Institute for Building Materials (VIBM) in collaboration with the Vietnam Green Building Council (VGBC) and the China Building Materials Academy (CBMA), along with domestic and international partners, will organize the International Conference on “21st Century Building Materials” at the National Conference Center, Hanoi. The conference is held under the patronage of the Ministry of Construction of Vietnam, with specialized coordination units including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
ICBM 2024 will feature 66 presentations from domestic and international experts, attracting over 300 researchers, scholars, experts and policymakers from 16 countries around the world, including the UK, Germany, Australia, India, Switzerland, Norway, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Russia, China, Indonesia, Thailand, South Africa and Vietnam. This event is part of the official celebrations marking the 55th anniversary of the establishment of VIBM.
The seminar was attended by Mr. Nguyen Van Sinh – Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Construction; leaders and representatives of organizing and co-organizing units; leaders of units from specialized ministries: Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Transport; embassies; institutes/academies; industry associations, businesses; and media agencies.
With the “green” development orientation, the production of building materials needs to be associated with the application of advanced and modern science and technology, the implementation of a circular economy in building materials production; recycling waste and co-processing waste in the cement industry to reduce the use of non-renewable mineral resources, maximize the use of industrial by-products, save energy, protect the environment, and create green, sustainable, eco-friendly building materials products that are adaptable to climate change, contributing to the achievement of Vietnam’s Net-zero target by 2050.
In response to this development trend, with the role of a pioneer in building materials research, VIBM organizes the International Conference on Building Materials (ICBM 2024) with the theme “Building Materials of the 21st Century”. The conference aims to strengthen the exchange of experiences and cooperation between policymakers, experts, researchers, and businesses producing domestic and international materials, while also discussing action plans towards the sustainable development of the building materials industry in particular and the construction industry in general.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Sinh delivered the opening speech at ICBM 2024.
In his opening speech at the seminar, Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Sinh affirmed that the building materials industry is one of the sectors that contributes significantly to the country’s economy. Therefore, the Government and the State are paying great attention to the development of policies and roadmaps for the industry, in line with the circular economy trend and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In this context, the Deputy Minister highly appreciated the ideas, program content, and practical value of the seminar. The seminar has attracted the interest of many speakers and businesses both domestically and internationally, with 66 valuable presentations that align with the Building Materials Industry Development Strategy. The seminar is not only a scientific forum for announcing new global research on building materials but also a bridge to enhance international cooperation. It serves as an opportunity for businesses and researchers to collaborate in promoting environmental protection trends and sharing experiences, thereby proposing and implementing effective solutions for the sustainable development of the building materials industry.
Dr. Nguyen Quang Hiep – President of VIBM, delivered a speech at ICBM 2024.
In his speech at the seminar, representing the organizing unit, Mr. Nguyen Quang Hiep – President of VIBM, stated: “Currently, we are facing global challenges such as resource depletion, environmental pollution, and climate change. Meanwhile, the production of building materials is an industry that uses a large amount of resources, energy, and emits significant CO2. Therefore, finding solutions to save resources, energy, and reduce emissions for the building materials production industry is of great importance and contributes to sustainable development.”
The main subjects of the seminar include: cement, concrete, refractory materials, paint, glass, aluminum, wood, and other plant materials, focusing on issues such as: improving the performance of materials; using recycled materials as substitutes in production; and testing methods to evaluate material properties.
The seminar is a multi-disciplinary forum for researchers, experts in the construction field, and policymakers.
The seminar features a total of 66 presentations in one plenary session and seven specialized sessions, which include:
Session 1: Environmentally Friendly Cement and Concrete
Session 2: Sustainable Development Solutions in Building Materials
Session 3: Applications of Aluminum and Glass in Construction
Session 4: Using Waste as Building Materials
Session 5: Building Materials for Green Buildings
Session 6: Building Materials for Sustainable Infrastructure
Session 7: Wood and Biomaterials, Carbon Capture Materials in Building Structures.
Mr. Le Trung Thanh – Director of the Department of Building Materials, Ministry of Construction, stated that the seminar is a scientific forum that brings many rich and diverse ideas; it is also an opportunity to spread to international friends the image of Vietnam with policies for the sustainable development of building materials, balancing economic, social, and environmental development.
At ICBM 2024, Mr. Pham Quang Tien – Representative of ADB in Vietnam, affirmed that the seminar is an important and timely initiative to create green building materials, protect the environment, and safeguard Vietnam – a country highly vulnerable to climate change combined with large emissions. ICBM 2024 is a practical international scientific forum, serving as a bridge of knowledge for researchers, scholars, experts, and policymakers from both Vietnam and around the world to share research results, experiences, new perspectives, and explore the latest scientific and technological advancements applied in the building materials industry in Vietnam and globally, contributing to the sustainable development of the building materials industry.
Some photos from ICBM 2024:
