Interview

" Deploying the activities of the CSTB Group, in France and abroad. "

Sylvie Ravalet, Deputy CEO in charge of Strategy and Finance

1. What are the activities of the CSTB Group internationally?

The CSTB Group develops international structural partnerships, based on its multidisciplinary activities and skills, to serve the stakeholders of the construction industry and sustainable cities. This European and international outreach is part of the mission of the CSTB.

In the area of research, our exchanges continue through university programs, European research projects and long-term collaboration with international institutes. For example, we cooperate with the LHI in South Korea in the fields of energy, acoustics and digital technologies; with our Australian counterpart, CSIRO, on the adaptation of the built environment to climate change; and with American institutions such as MIT and NIST, in the area of fire safety. The CSTB also initiates scientific conferences attracting leading experts from several continents. For example, in 2016 we organized conferences on Fire Safety of Facades and SNOW Engineering.

The international scope of the CSTB can also be seen in the deployment of its expertise to help the French construction industry and stakeholders of urban planning on the global market, or to respond to requests from international architects, consulting firms and builders. The CSTB is recognized in particular for its multidisciplinary expertise in the realm of major structures in Europe and elsewhere around the world.

In the area of assessment and certification, European technical organizations, including the CSTB, have come together to harmonize technical standards. The goal is to facilitate the recognition of assessments and to guide French industrial companies wishing to export their products. For example, a partnership signed in 2016 with Tecnalia offered new opportunities in Latin America. The CSTB is also continuing harmonization work with its counterparts in Morocco, the United States and Canada. As for certification, QB, the unified certification mark of the CSTB, has a European and international orientation.

2. Is this international dimension likely to increase?

Energy and environmental challenges, such as the management of carbon emissions, water, waste, biodiversity, mobility, etc., along with economic challenges are certainly on the rise all over the globe. Although sharing best practices at the international level helps us meet these challenges, when it comes to the nuts and bolts of implementation, locally adapted solutions are needed. .

Following on COP 21 and COP 22, the CSTB is mobilizing its skills and knowledge to ensure that buildings and cities contribute significantly to energy savings and carbon emission reductions. In 2016, a good illustration of this was the deployment of the HQE^TM standard by Cerway (a subsidiary of the CSTB Group and Qualitel) for sustainable urban projects in Morocco, China and Colombia. The CSTB Group also wishes to continue supporting stakeholders of the construction industry and urban planning in their bids for private contracts.