Israel Unveils Major National Investment to Accelerate Advanced Concrete Technologies for Durable, Low-Carbon Infrastructure
NIS 60 million nationwide program led by the Israel Innovation Authority, Ministry of Construction and Housing, and Ministry of Transport will advance resilient, cost-efficient construction technologies designed for 100-year infrastructure
The Israel Innovation Authority, in collaboration with the Ministry of Construction and Housing, and the Ministry of Transport, has announced a NIS 60 million national investment aimed at reshaping Israel’s infrastructure and construction sectors. The initiative will accelerate the development and deployment of advanced concrete technologies designed to extend infrastructure lifespan, improve resilience and protection, reduce construction costs, and significantly lower reliance on imported raw materials.
The first phase of the program will allocate NIS 28 million to next-generation reinforced concrete systems, supporting faster infrastructure development while reducing the environmental footprint associated with cement production and enhancing long-term performance of national infrastructure assets.
Dror Bin, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority, said: “The investment we are leading together with the Ministry of Construction and Housing and the Ministry of Transport is a strategic step to embed deep innovation in Israel’s construction and infrastructure sector. The technologies we are advancing will enable stronger, more resilient infrastructure, deliver significant savings in costs and raw materials, and improve the protection and survivability of buildings in Israel. This is an important step toward strengthening the country’s infrastructure and economic resilience.”
Moshe Ben Zaken, Director General of the Ministry of Transport, said: “Minister of Transport Miri Regev stated upon taking office her commitment to advancing innovation across all areas of transportation, and today we see another component of that vision being implemented. Adopting advanced construction and infrastructure technologies contributes to the national effort to accelerate infrastructure development in Israel and improve long-term durability over decades. The partnership with the Israel Innovation Authority will help implement new methods that shorten execution time, reduce costs, and raise the quality and durability of the transport infrastructure we build every day. We will continue to lead innovation that improves safety, efficiency, and Israel’s infrastructure resilience.”
Yehuda Morgenstern, Director General of the Ministry of Construction and Housing, said: “Our support for this project is a direct continuation of the Ministry’s innovation strategy, which is based on integrating academia, industry, and startups to deliver breakthrough solutions for the construction sector. Embedding innovation in construction is essential to addressing the challenges of Israel’s housing market. I am confident that introducing diversification, expanding the supply of raw materials and construction methods, will strengthen the sector, improve construction quality, and increase productivity. This is the future of the industry.”
The National Need: Faster Building at Higher Complexity
Israel’s construction sector is currently required to nearly double the pace of building residential housing and national infrastructure while addressing increasing engineering complexity, from high-rise buildings and public facilities to bridges, tunnels, and underground infrastructure. This reality requires technological solutions that combine high durability, reduced raw material consumption, improved protection capabilities, and improved environmental efficiency.
Focus of the Investment: RSTPCS Advanced Reinforced Concrete Technologies
The investment will focus on advancing RSTPCS – Reinforced Superior Tailored Performance Concrete Systems technologies. These technologies are based on an innovative, system-level approach that simultaneously addresses the cement matrix and the reinforcement, unlike common approaches such as UHPC that focus primarily on the matrix.
The approach is built on developing an ultra-dense matrix with high strength and ductility, combined with reinforcement made from environmentally resistant composite materials.
Development, Implementation, and Maturation Toward 100+ Year Service Life
The investment will enable continued development, upgrading, implementation, and maturation of these technologies, including optimal integration of fibers, fillers, and filaments at micro- and nano-scales, as well as the replacement of traditional steel reinforcement with composite materials.
These systems will be developed using advanced design tools that enable tailoring the optimal system for each structural component. This combination is expected to deliver improved mechanical performance, significant savings in raw materials, and exceptionally long service life, on the order of 100 years or more, consistent with the requirements of national infrastructure assets.
Leveraging Israeli Strengths from Leading Industries and Addressing Climate Challenges
In parallel, the investment will support adoption of advanced, system-level technologies from industries in which Israel is a global leader, such as the aerospace industry, for example, carbon-fiber-based reinforcement, especially for components that must withstand high mechanical loads over long service lifetimes.
In addition, tools will be developed to address climate-change challenges by integrating more environmentally sustainable reinforced concrete components and expanding the use of marginal and recycled raw materials. These efforts will be supported by design tools that improve environmental efficiency and enable the design of composite components characterized by environmentally functional layered structures.
The Israel Innovation Authority will continue working in partnership with industry, academia, and research institutes to advance technologies that address Israel’s construction, protection, and infrastructure challenges in the coming decades.