Brasília – The president of Lafarge Group, Bruno Lafont, announced on Friday (11) that the company plans to invest R$ 1 billion (US$ 500 million) in Brazil over the next five years and that the projects should include a research centre in the area of civil construction. The announcement was made by Lafont after a meeting with president Dilma Rousseff at Planalto Palace, in Brasília.
A global giant in the cement and building material sector, headquartered in France, Lafarge plans to expand installations and build new factories in Brazil, says the executive. “Brazil has true potential for growth. The investment needs in infrastructure and in the housing sector show that the country has much margin for growth.”
The group has not decided in what city to install the research centre. However, according to Lafont, the unit should start operating in the second half of this year. “The laboratory will work on field testing of innovative solutions in the building sector.” The research centre in Brazil will be the fifth outside France. The others are in the Netherlands, China, Algeria and India.
Over the last five years, the French group has invested R$ 2 billion (US$ 1 billion) in Brazil.
*Translated by Mark Ament
