France: Vicat has entered exclusive negotiations to acquire Cemex Béton Rhône Alpes, Cemex Béton Sud Est and Cemex Granulats Rhône Méditerranée. The businesses consist of 48 ready-mix concrete plants and nine aggregate quarries in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and the Rhône Valley.
Idéal Investisseur News has reported that Vicat has set a new financial leverage target for 2026 – 2027 in order to account for the acquisition.
South Korea: Construction firm Samsung C&T has received certification the Korea Concrete Association for construction applications of its Precast Concrete Special Moment Beam-Pillar Dry Joint method. The method combines a steel bracket and bolt fastening to connect precast concrete columns and beams in rigid-frame structures. It is adapted to meet special moment frame seismic requirements for high-rise buildings, while shortening construction lead times.
Mexico: Cemex has been included in Fortune's 2026 Change the World list, marking the fifth time the company has received this recognition. The Fortune Change the World list recognises companies that are having a positive social impact through activities that are part of their core business strategy.
In its 2026 awards, Fortune recognised Cemex for its Freshwater-Free Concrete initiative in Mexico, a programme that helps preserve freshwater for communities while strengthening operational resilience. The initiative replaces freshwater used in ready-mix concrete production with alternative water sources that are not suitable for human consumption or agriculture. The programme prioritises water-stressed regions while maintaining product quality, safety and operational performance.
“Water scarcity is one of the most important challenges facing communities and industries, and this initiative shows how business can be part of the solution,” said Ricardo Naya, Executive Vice President of Sustainability, Operations and Ventures at Cemex. “By rethinking water use in concrete production, we are reducing pressure on freshwater resources while strengthening the resilience and efficiency of our operations.”
In 2025, the Freshwater-Free Concrete initiative reached a 67% freshwater substitution rate across Cemex's ready-mix operations in Mexico. As part of the programme, certification body AENOR certified 31 Cemex concrete plants in Mexico under its Zero Freshwater and Zero Discharge framework. Cemex has also begun replicate the programme in its operations in France, Spain and the US.
Sweden: Re-ment alternative cement developer Cemvision has signed a joint sales agreement with precast concrete producer S:t Eriks to develop and commercialise a new generation of reduced-CO2 products across Nordic and Baltic markets. Under the agreement, S:t Eriks will incorporate Cemvision's Re-ment Massive alternative cement into its concrete products. The companies will collaborate on product development, testing and verification, marketing and customer outreach, with deliveries expected to commence after Cemvision enters industrial-scale production of its alternative cements in 2028.
