Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland partners with Vector Labs to advance materials in sustainable construction
Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland has revealed a new strategic partnership with Manchester-based company Vector Labs. The partnership will explore how advanced materials can be integrated into construction products to improve performance and reduce environmental impact.
This partnership, led by Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland brings together expertise from across Saint-Gobain including its External Ventures team, and the Saint-Gobain brands British Gypsum & Isover, and scientists at Vector Labs, the technology division of Vector Group.
The new strategic partnership will aim to leverage the power of nano-materials, such as graphene, to deliver significant improvements in the functionality and performance of Saint-Gobain’s construction products.
Initially the focus of the strategic partnership will be on Saint-Gobain’s gypsum products, and will run throughout the remainder of 2025, with a triple goal:
- Use higher levels of recycled content
- Reduce waste in its processes and in use on construction sites
- Lower the embodied carbon of its materials
Dean O’Sullivan, Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland Deputy CEO and Managing Director of Saint-Gobain’s Interior Solutions Division said:
“At Saint-Gobain, our purpose is to make the world a better home. On this journey, we are proud to be collaborating with Vector Labs and sharing expertise together to find ways to enhance our solutions for customers and the wider construction industry. We are very focused on exploring ways in which new technologies and materials can be used to innovate our solutions and deliver solutions that are more sustainable and higher performing”.
Vector Group Director, Dr Liam Britnell, said:
“This is an exciting landmark project with Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland for Vector Labs and it underscores our commitment to sustainability and innovation in the construction sector.”
“Innovation happens when the lab and industry come together, and we’re thrilled to be bringing the power of advanced materials to Saint-Gobain’s scale. Nano-materials* can enhance traditional building materials, improving performance without increasing weight. This can unlock significant reductions in the carbon footprint of manufacturing and transportation. Working with such a prominent industry leader highlights the strength of our impact and reputation. Saint-Gobain has not only a storied history and global reach, but also a real drive to push the industry forward.”
Andrea Davis, External Ventures Manager, Saint-Gobain UK and Ireland
“This partnership is a great example of how our External Ventures team connects the strength and agility of startups with the global scale and resources of Saint-Gobain—including close collaboration with our business divisions and brands to co-develop solutions for the future of construction. I’m excited to see how this collaboration evolves and what we can achieve together”
* Natural and man-made nano-materials are incredibly small in size. Graphene is a single-atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice structure. 3 million sheets of graphene, stacked together with make-up a one-millimetre-thick piece of ordinary graphite. Although extremely small it has exceptional strength, flexibility and lightweight properties