Romania: Sika Romania has launched a new €1.5m concrete additives production plant in Corlătești, Prahova County. The plant incorporates systems for the recovery, treatment and reuse of concrete and water.

Switzerland-based Sika’s Eastern Europe Regional Head Ileana Nicolae said "The investment in Corlătești marks a concrete step in our regional expansion and in streamlining our operations in Eastern Europe. Romania has a strategic position in this network, and the new unit gives us the flexibility needed to better respond to the increasingly dynamic demands of the construction market."

Malaysia/Saudi Arabia: Construction firm Doka Formwork Malaysia and property developer MGB have entered into a strategic memorandum of collaboration (MoC) to develop the use of industrialised building system (IBS) precast concrete elements in construction projects in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. The Star newspaper has reported that the collaboration aims to reduce CO₂ emissions and increase efficient material usage.

Japan: Lib Work has outlined a new 3D printing method that involves the use of a novel alternative concrete produced using 65% sand and soil. The concrete contains a lime-based binder and natural fibre reinforcement. The resulting materials offers Grade 3 earthquake resistance. It reduces a new house’s embodied CO₂ emissions by 55% compared with ordinary construction methods to 22.4t of CO₂, according to the developer.

US: 25 drivers and mechanics at Island Ready-Mix Concrete’s Kapolei ready-mix concrete batching plant in Hawaii went on strike on 23 July 2025. Hawaii News Now has reported that workers at the 500m3/day plant are demanding two days off per seven-day working week. The parties have held 16 rounds of negotiations, with the next upcoming session scheduled for 18 August 2025, when workers are expected to respond to the company’s offer of a 14% wage rise over a period of three years. Both parties have already ‘tentatively’ accepted 15 provisions of an agreement.

Island Ready-Mix Concrete serves a mix of commercial and residential contracts on O’ahu.