Concrete Change: How Startups Like Material Evolution Are Building a Greener Future – And What the Government Can Do to Help From a garage startup to a game-changing force in sustainable construction, Material Evolution is rewriting the rules of cement production — and calling for smarter government support to help innovators scale faster.

Cement is one of the most polluting materials on Earth, responsible for a staggering 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. That's the challenge Material Evolution, a Middlesbrough based cleantech startup, set out to tackle. Co-founded by Dr. Liz Gilligan in her parents' garage, the company has since grown into a commercial-scale operation. In 2024, it launched the UK's largest ultra-low carbon cement plant in Wrexham - a facility capable of producing 120,000 tonnes annually of its breakthrough product that slashes embodied CO₂ by up to 85% compared to traditional cement. The innovation has been fueled, in part, by government support. But according to David Hughes, Chief Scientific Officer at Material Evolution, more targeted action is needed to turn cutting-edge science into real-world impact.

"The government could stimulate demand through procurement policies, requiring major projects to use lower-carbon materials," says Hughes. "That would create market pull and encourage further investment and production scale-ups."

R&D Support Has Been Crucial - But Market Access Remains Key
Hughes acknowledges that public funding has been a lifeline in the company's early days. "At Material Evolution, we have received substantial support from the government through programmes such as UKRI and Innovate UK grants," he explains. "The funding has been invaluable in advancing our technologies, enabling us to scale operations within just five years of inception." But there's a persistent challenge for startups: the gap between innovation and adoption. Hughes says that to truly grow, companies like his need more than R&D support - they need a real market. "For start-ups like ours, growth is about making sure there's a real market for new technologies. The government could play a huge role in this by helping to level the playing field between high-carbon and low-carbon products, whether through subsidies or tax incentives."

Learning from Ireland - and Raising the UK's Innovation Game
Hughes points to international examples where policy is driving change more effectively.
"Ireland has introduced procurement guidance to promote the reduction of embodied carbon in construction materials, including the requirement to use lower carbon cements in public infrastructure projects," he notes. This kind of regulatory clarity gives companies the confidence to invest in scaling. And the environmental impact is substantial: "In 2022, the cement sector accounted for 2.88Mt CO₂ emission, which was 4.8% of Ireland's total carbon emissions. For comparison, the UK cement industry emits 9.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per year." Beyond procurement policies, Hughes suggests the government could do more to shine a spotlight on emerging innovations. "The government can create a more favourable ecosystem for innovation in the UK by ensuring that new technologies and products are widely adopted," he says. "Additionally, the government could help raise the visibility of new technologies through publications, social media, and 'technology visits' by ministers." Increased awareness, both public and political, could attract investors and encourage collaboration across sectors. "Public awareness campaigns and industry partnerships could further highlight UK innovations, particularly within start-ups, boosting their presence in the market and encouraging investment," Hughes adds.

Building a Sustainable Future - One Policy at a Time
Material Evolution's journey from garage to gigatonne-scale ambition is a testament to what startups can achieve with the right combination of innovation, vision, and support. But their message is clear: if the UK wants to lead the world in cleantech, policy must evolve as fast as the technologies it seeks to support. "Mandating the use of low-carbon materials in infrastructure projects and prioritising UK-produced materials over imports would send a strong market signal," Hughes emphasizes. "It would unlock investment and accelerate the shift toward more sustainable solutions." The cement of the future is here. Now it's time to build the foundation around it.