Türkiye: The Turkish Competition Board has conditionally cleared conglomerate Arsem Madencilik Enerji to acquire Kars Çimento, following a Phase II review of the deal opened on 25 September 2025. Kars Çimento, a subsidiary of Italy-based Cementir, operates the 0.6Mt/yr plant near Kars in Northeastern Türkiye. Cementir completed its sale of Kars Çimento to a subsidiary of Arsem Madencilik Enerji in late 2025.

The board reported that the companies’ combined market shares exceed 85% in certain districts. Arsem Madencilik Enerji has committed to limit price rises, increase employment at the Kars plant by 10% and maintain the plant’s capacity utilisation at no less than 90%.

© Cosimo Maffione

Switzerland: Holcim has opened a new, 9000m² headquarters and showroom in Zug. The producer described the showroom as a 3D-printed concrete maze made of EcoPact reduced-CO₂ concrete featuring EcoPlanet reduced-CO₂ cement. The materials also include EcoCycle technology, which guarantees construction demolition materials (CDM) content of over 10%. Cross-section mockups show thermal envelope assemblies of Alkern concrete blocks filled with Airium insulating foam, PRB thermal render systems and Ytong autoclaved aerated concrete blocks. The showroom also displays Artevia light-reflecting decorative concrete for urban heat island mitigation and Hydromedia permeable concrete for groundwater recharge, alongside features produced using Holcim’s shotcrete and woodcrete concrete products.

Switzerland: The government has submitted a bill for a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) for imports of cement into Switzerland. It recommends that any eventual CBAM incorporate a trigger mechanism to apply only when cement imports rise ‘strongly’ from a given country.

US/Europe: Spain-based Cemex Ventures and nine other venture capital partners have named 13 finalists for their Construction Startup Competition 2026. Eight will pitch in Las Vegas, US, on 9 – 11 November 2026 and a further five in Helsinki, Finland, on 17 November 2026.

Finalists include Germany-based Bton Holding, which has developed the Hybrid Suspension Mixing two-stage processing technology for low-cement concrete production, and Canada-based Universal Matter, which has developed graphene dispersions to increase concrete strength.