An exclusive session on driving sustainable transformation in the cement industry will be presented by Dr. Mohammed Fouad, Strategy and Business Excellence Director, Riyadh Cement Company Saudi Arabia at the upcoming CarbonZero Global Conference and Exhibition, where they have also submitted nominations for the CarbonZero Awards!
The deadline for submission for Industrial Decarbonization Project of the Year is August 20, so make sure you send yours in now, at Mariana.gheorghe@industrylink.eu.
Session topic: Beyond Clinker: Industrial Strategies for Low-Clinker and Performance-Based Cements
The presentation will provide a strategic industry perspective on how cement companies can reposition clinker reduction from a technical initiative into a core business and decarbonization strategy. It will examine how manufacturers can develop scalable low-clinker and performance-based cement portfolios while safeguarding product quality, durability, operational reliability, commercial competitiveness, and customer confidence.
The session will connect cementitious-material innovation with industrial capability, supply-chain resilience, evolving standards, market readiness, and disciplined value creation. It will also highlight selected digital and AI enablers that can support formulation optimization, predictive quality management, process stability, and faster industrial deployment.
The presentation will address:
The strategic case for clinker reduction: Positioning clinker-factor reduction as a practical and scalable pathway for reducing embodied carbon while protecting product quality and business performance.
Diversifying cementitious materials: Evaluating slag, fly ash, natural pozzolans, calcined clay, limestone, and industrial by-products based on availability, consistency, cost, technical performance, and carbon impact.
Transitioning toward performance-based cements: Moving from prescriptive cement compositions toward products evaluated through strength, durability, workability, setting time, exposure resistance, and lifecycle performance.
Optimizing products and production processes: Adapting grinding, blending, activation, homogenization, laboratory testing, and quality-control systems to support higher clinker substitution without compromising consistency.
Building a sustainable raw-material ecosystem: Developing long-term partnerships with mining, energy, waste-management, and industrial sectors to secure reliable, traceable, and quality-controlled alternative materials.
Supporting market acceptance: Strengthening standards compliance, technical customer support, environmental product declarations, carbon transparency, product qualification, and performance-based procurement.
Applying selected digital and AI enablers: Using predictive quality models to optimize cement formulations, digital traceability to monitor alternative-material quality, and advanced analytics to stabilize grinding, blending, and product performance.
Creating a commercially viable implementation roadmap: Prioritizing product segments, managing supply and quality risks, defining investment needs, and scaling successful formulations from laboratory development to industrial production
About the Speaker
Dr. Mohammed Fouad Hussein Mesafer is the Strategy and Business Excellence Director at Riyadh Cement Company and a senior industrial leader with more than 24 years of experience across the cement and manufacturing sectors in the Middle East and North Africa.
His expertise covers corporate strategy, operational excellence, plant operations and maintenance, sustainability and decarbonization, governance and risk management, business development, performance management, and Industry 4.0 transformation. He has led strategic initiatives involving energy efficiency, low-carbon products, process optimization, digital manufacturing, organizational transformation, and workforce capability development.
Dr. Mohammed holds a Doctor of Business Administration, an MBA in Global Management, and qualifications in Chemical Engineering. He is also a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Quality Management Systems Consultant, and Greenhouse Gas and Carbon Footprint Consultant.
Early bird rates end soon, make sure you secure your spot ! The key leaders will be there, join them!
The CarbonZero 2026 Awards (awarded on October 28, Tangla Brussels Hotel) Award Categories
- CarbonZero Industrial Decarbonization Project of the Year Deadline: August 20.
This category honors a specific, large-scale initiative that has demonstrated measurable impact. Whether it is a landmark carbon capture pilot, a successful transition to 100% alternative fuels, or a revolutionary circular economy partnership, this award recognizes technical ingenuity and operational success.
- CarbonZero Decarbonization Leadership Award Deadline September 10
Decarbonization requires more than technology; it requires courage. This award is dedicated to an individual or organizational leader who has championed sustainability at a systemic level. We are looking for the influencers who have steered their companies—and the industry—toward a lower-carbon future through policy, investment, and advocacy.
Submit Your Nomination
Are you leading the charge toward a sustainable built environment? Or do you know a partner whose work deserves global recognition?
Nominate the project by writing at contact@industrylink.eu! Register to the event and be the first to see and congratulate the winners!
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Want to know more about decarbonization, sustainable industry trends, and the breakthroughs driving real change? Explore the complete lineup of Industry Link’s 2026 events below:
Cementitious Materials International Technical & Trade Congress – Europe
28–29 October, Brussels, Belgium
A leading EMEA gathering on cementitious materials, market trends, regulatory updates, and regional opportunities.
CarbonZero Alternative Fuels & Raw Materials Global Conference & Exhibition 2026
Including Cementitious Europe – Congress
28–29 October, Brussels, Belgium
Global platform for Net Zero strategies, alternative fuels, raw materials, carbon capture, and emerging technologies.
Speakers include:
- Claudia Albertini, CEO Holcim Belgium
- Mahendra Singhi, Board Member & Strategic Advisor, Dalmia Bharat India, Board Member, GCCA
- Adriana Fernandez, UNIDO
- Nikos Nikolakakos, Environment & Resources Manager, Cement Europe
- Irene Dominguez, Policy Manager, Embodied Carbon & Lead Markets, Bellona Europe
- Maria del Mar Rojas, Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTI)
- Dr Martina Bassan, Corporate Affairs Director, European Metals
- Eadbhard Pernot, Executive Director,Carbon Management Europe
- Kerry Sutton, American Concrete Institute
- Hervé Camerlynck, Managing Director, FEBELCEM
- Jacob Moos, Associate Partner, McKinsey
- Pilar Hidalgo, Innovation Director, Cementos La Cruz
- Anna-Marise Rocha, Commercial Manager, Port of Amsterdam
- Frank Mruk, National Ready Mix Cement Association USA
- Luyue Tan, Senior Research Specialist, Carbon, London Stock Exchange Group
- Grant QUASHA, Chairman and CEO, Eco Material Technologies, A CRH Company, USA
- Dr. Stefan Puntke, Managing Director and Dr. Hans-Jürgen Klischat, Executive for Strategic Projects, Refratechnik
- Hongyan Ma, Professor, Missouri University of Science and Technology, USA
- Marta Diez, Country Manager Spain, Portugal, Italy, CFP Energy
- Dr. Josilene TV Ferrer, Senior Analyst for International Cooperation and Climate Change, Green Planet Institute Brazil
- Andres Ponce, CEO, WTEnergy Advanced Solutions
- Mohammed Fouad, Business Excellence Director, Riyadh Cement Company Saudi Arabia
- Mohammed Zaki, Head of Alternative Fuels & H2 Operations Management, Arabian Cement Company Egypt
- Pilar Hidalgo, Head of Innovation, Cementos Las Cruz, Spain
- Tien Peng, Cofounder, GreenPlum St., Portugal
- Georg Lochner, Strategic company development “New Technologies”, Schwenk Building Materials Group, Germany
- Duncan McLachlan, VP Growth & Enterprise, io Consulting
- Alexander Makhlay, Associate Editor, Argus Media
- Cobi Busst, Principal, Beaumont Bailey
- Firefly
Women in Cement and Construction International Congress 2026 – EMEA
30 October, Brussels, Belgium
A dedicated forum advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion across the cement and construction sectors.
Sustainability Conference and Exhibition to include Industry 5.0 – Smart Solutions for Cement and Construction Conference and Exhibition 2026 in São Paulo (World Trade Center)- will convene leading voices from across the global construction, engineering, and infrastructure sectors to address the urgent challenges of decarbonization, embodied carbon reduction, and climate resilience. As the sector undergoes a massive digital shift, this event also focuses on the technologies defining the next generation of building: AI-driven operations, advanced manufacturing, robotics, and human-centric industrial transformation.
Speakers include:
Álvaro Lorenz – Global Director of Sustainability, Votorantim Cimentos
Vanessa Castro, Sustainability, Cementos Argos
Luciana Arouca – Head of Sustainability Services Brazil & LATAM, JLLAna Lúcia Grizzi – Senior Independent Consultant; Coordinator of the Sustainability and Innovation Committee, Votorantim Cimentos
Josilene T. V. Ferrer – Senior Analyst of International Cooperation and Climate Change, CETESB – Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo
Carla Leal – CDP Market Director for LATAM | Board Members
Patrícia Iglecias – Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of São Paulo
Juan Padial – Managing Partner, Digital Supply Chain, KPMG
Felipe Salgado – Managing Partner of Decarbonization, KPMG
Rejane Afonso – Technical and Commercial Director, Monitore
Edilson Júnior – Manager of Innovation and Industrial Technology, Cimento Nacional
Cementitious Materials International Technical & Trade Congress – MEA
8–9 December, Morocco
The premier MEA event for cementitious materials, innovation, and regional trade opportunities.
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