INSEE Cement – Strengthening the future of the construction industry

From left: Ananda Jayawardena of the University of Moratuwa, Prof. S.G.J.N Senanayake of the University of Ruhuna, Siam City Cement (Lanka) Commercial Director Janaka Weerakoon, Director of Procurement and Logistics Charith Wijendra and Siam City Cement (Lanka) Head of Industrial Sales 

Sanka Seneviratne 

Partners with Sri Lankan universities for research and development

Sri Lanka’s leading cement manufacturer INSEE Cement (formerly known as Holcim (Lanka) Ltd.) signed a milestone partnership with three of Sri Lanka’s big league universities – Peradeniya, Moratuwa and Ruhuna – to boost the local construction industry with game changing, innovative, research and development advancements. 

Expected to play a vital role in expanding and nurturing construction-related educational facilities offered locally, this partnership was formalised between INSEE Cement’s Sri Lankan corporate unit – Siam City (Lanka) Ltd. and the three universities. 

The agreement was signed by Janaka Weerakoon, Commercial Director of Siam City Cement (Lanka) Ltd., and Vice Chancellors Prof. Upul Dissanayake of the University of Peradeniya, Prof. Ananda Jayawardena of the University of Moratuwa and Prof. S.G.J.N. Senanayake of the University of Ruhuna. Weerakoon was joined at the head table by Charith Wijendra, Director of Procurement and Logistics and Sanka Seneviratne, Head of Industrial Sales at Siam City Cement (Lanka) Ltd.

Today, the global construction industry is challenged by highly demanding, rapid infrastructure and urban development. With this partnership, INSEE Cement’s dedicated Innovation and Application Center is looking to address these challenges through continuous research and collaboration, thereby introducing application-based cement products to the market that provide swift, high quality, safe and economic solutions.  

INSEE Cement heavily invests in creating premium quality products that strictly adhere to the country’s quality, safety and operational health regulatory requirements; INSEE Cement’s Palavi and Ruhunu Analytical Laboratories are accredited for cement mechanical testing based on ISO/IEC 17025:2005 standards from national accreditation authority, the Sri Lanka Accreditation Board for Conformity Assessment (SLAB). 

The company also maintains a culture of safety first in a formidable industry for all stakeholders, also providing the latest in safety equipment to encourage best practices in process and production. Such effort has resulted in INSEE Cement having the distinction of being the Sole Technical Partner of the National Health and Safety Awards, one of Sri Lanka’s prestigious events coveted by the manufacturing sector. 

It is this same uncompromised focus on the highest standards in quality that realized INSEE Cement’s partnership with the universities, with continued investment through financial support and technical guidance. These future ‘ideators’ will be further empowered with scholarships granted to six civil and environmental engineering students per year from each university as part of the agreement. The partnership also implies INSEE Cement’s assistance with research on identified challenges faced by the construction industry, knowledge sharing with the universities and academia, as well as the transfer of knowledge/solutions developed with the collaboration with the universities to the industry on different applications. 

“At INSEE, we encourage new thinking and innovation to strengthen the future of the local construction industry,” Weerakoon stated. “We are highly aware of the responsibility we have as a leading cement manufacturer in Sri Lanka to guide the local industry in this direction. That is why through this partnership we proactively collaborate with an important stakeholder sector, students and innovators, committing to ensure they have a solid foundation to realise their concepts and paradigm shifting ideas upon, to transform and future-proof our industry.”

INSEE Cement, having recently acquired Sri Lanka’s leading cement manufacturer Holcim (Lanka) Limited, re-launched the renowned cement product range; Holcim Ready Flow as INSEE Rapid Flow, Holcim Ready Flow Plus to INSEE Rapid Flow Plus, Holcim Extra as INSEE Extra, Holcim Sanstha as INSEE Sanstha and Lafarge Marine as INSEE Mahaweli Marine Cement.