Saint-Gobain flags infrastructure growth potential

Saint Gobain has announced a new ‘Lead & Grow’ strategic plan, which envisages around €12bn (approx. US$13.95bn) in growth capex and acquisitions globally over the 2026-2030 period

 

With a focus on light and sustainable construction, the group says it is raising its profitable growth trajectory in the years ahead, and aims to increase its exposure to the non-residential and infrastructure sectors.

 

“In the current geopolitical context, Saint-Gobain benefits from the powerful operating model it has established and optimised country-by-country, based on local value chains,” said Benoit Bazin, Saint-Gobain’s chairman and CEO.

 

The group outlined growth plans across major developed regions, including Asia, North America and Europe, but it is also active across the African continent.

 

Its latest investment in Africa is a new cement plant in South Africa, opened this year to support local manufacturing and sustainability efforts.

 

It also dovetails with another of the group's corporate messages in priortising local manufacturing capabilities: Make it Africa, to Build Africa, or MABA.

 

“We will also expand into new growth markets: in infrastructure, particularly thanks to our established leading position in construction chemicals, and in non-residential, where the group holds key advantages,” added Bazin.

 

The widening of the group’s product offer over the past few years has opened up new opportunities in non-residential (including educational and healthcare facilities, hotels and data centres) and infrastructure (transport, energy), the company added in a statement.

 

In the data centre segment, it highlights solutions including focusing on speed of construction, low-carbon partitions and concrete, airflow management and improved thermal insulation.

 

On the infrastructure side, it said it was targeting niche areas in the bridges and tunnels segment, such as technical waterproofing, specialty admixtures, expansion and injection grouts, repair and protection mortars.

 

And on the airports side, it highlighted products for runway reinforcement, fire-resistant and fire safety glass, solar controlled façades, technical flooring and acoustic partitions.

 

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