6 - Vicat

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, PATENTS AND LICENSES11in the collective effort in favor of the environment,mobilizes significant manpower in the fields ofcrystallography, thermodynamics and additives. Tocarry out this research, state of the art equipment ismobilized at the research laboratory at L’Isle d’Abeau,in particular, diffractometer, X-ray fluorescence, fieldeffect electron microscope. New products resultingfrom this fundamental research are then tested inclose cooperation with the concrete research anddevelopment teams which are also present on theL’Isle d’Abeau site. Partnerships have been signedwith industrial groups who provide technology andpotential users for these future products.The Group’s research policy in relation to concreteis directed towards developing products improvingworking conditions and profitability on building sitesby facilitating their use. The results obtained to dateallow the Group to supply concretes with adaptedplasticity, or self-leveling concrete.Similarly, development of the Vicat screed inpartnership with EDF is a significant developmentaxis which provides tillers and screeders withsignificant productivity gains while bringing a solutionadapted to the new heating requirements combiningconvenience and energy savings. New families ofscreeds are under development in our laboratoriesand should soon be offered to our customers.New products development also address sustainabledevelopment and improvement of the thermalefficiency of future concretes that will be offered toour customers and the construction systems for verylow energy consumptionbuildings .In the framework of its research and developmentactivities, the Group registers patents in order toprotect the development of products resulting fromthem.2010 registration document VICAT 91