Algeria: Lafarge inaugurated its fourth laboratory dedicated to research in construction materials in Algiers on 18 November 2013. The Euro1.75m laboratory is the first such facility that the multinational cement producer has opened in Africa.
Luc Callebat, CEO of Lafarge-Algeria, described the laboratory as a "platform technology to coordinate and accelerate innovation to serve the needs of the Algerian construction market," during the inauguration ceremony. The project is intended to meet increasing demand for housing in terms of quality, cost and energy efficiency. The laboratory joins Lafarge's existing network in France, China and India.
Covering an area of 2290m2, the research laboratory includes control laboratories and research in cement, concrete, aggregates and building systems. The laboratory also organises specialised training in the construction industry.