In June 2020 the foundation stone for the world's first building made of carbon concrete, called CUBE, was laid in Dresden. Interested parties now have the opportunity to experience the building digitally. The CUBE serves as a demonstrator for various applications of carbon concrete. One of them is the integrated heating function of carbon concrete components. Their possible applications, business model approaches and market requirements are being evaluated by an interdisciplinary research team of the group Business Models: Engineering and Innovation in the project "C³InteF". Fraunhofer IMW project leader Josephine Schöffel says: "By placing a heatable wall surface (C³InteF) in the world's first building made of carbon concrete, the multifunctionality of carbon concrete as a construction material can be illustrated".

While conventional concrete can only be produced in a resource-intensive and environmentally harmful manner, a reinforcement made of carbon can often save up to 80 percent of material and also reduce CO2 emissions. To achieve this, the corrosion-prone steel in the concrete is replaced by carbon. The research consortium "C³ - Carbon Concrete Composite" has been researching this innovative construction material since 2014 and aims to transform construction with the composite material carbon concrete in a sustainable way. Fraunhofer IMW supports the consortium in the transfer of knowledge, the development of business models and the assessment of market potential.

Digital laying of the foundation stone