The partnership, owned 76% by Orascom Construction and 24% by COBOD, will play a leading role in the technological advancement of the construction sector in Egypt. Not only is this new technology more cost and time efficient compared to traditional methods of construction, but it is also more environmentally sustainable as it reduces material consumption, construction waste, and carbon footprint.
By leveraging Orascom Construction and COBOD’s leading positions in their respective fields, the partnership will mainly focus on three business lines: project execution, equipment sales, and operation and maintenance (O&M). The partnership will also continue to explore various opportunities in the Egyptian market for utilizing the 3DPC technology in printing entire buildings.
Osama Bishai, CEO of Orascom Construction PLC, commented, “We are excited to bring to Egypt a new technology with the potential to unlock significant value particularly in the building sector. We have always led the industry in incorporating the latest technology across our work in Egypt and are pleased to partner with an industry leader like COBOD to help advance our sector in a sustainable manner.”
COBOD’s printers have already been applied in multiple countries around the world, and are responsible for the first one-, two- and three-story buildings in Europe, the first two-story buildings in the US, Canada and India and have printed the first schools and houses in Africa. COBOD’s printers are even printing windturbine towers and other industrial applications.
Henrik Lund-Nielsen, Founder & General of COBOD, commented, “We are very proud to partner up with Orascom in Egypt. Orascom is a beacon in the Egyptian construction market and based on Orascom’s construction knowhow and our 3D printing technology, I believe we have a winning combination. With a current backlog in the Egyptian market of 3 mill. houses and 500.000 new houses to be built in the coming 5 years to keep up with the growing population, there is great potential for our partnership and we intent to make the most of it.”
About Orascom Construction PLC
Orascom Construction PLC is a leading global engineering and construction contractor primarily focused on infrastructure, industrial and high-end commercial projects in the Middle East, Africa, and the United States. Orascom Construction PLC also develops and invests in infrastructure opportunities, owns 50% of BESIX Group, and holds a construction materials, facility management and equipment services portfolio. For more information, please visit www.orascom.com.
About COBOD International
World leader in 3D construction printing solutions with +50 printers sold world-wide.
COBOD’s mission is to build smarter through multifunctional construction robots based on 3D printing technology and COBOD’s vision is to automate minimum 50% of construction processes on building sites. All leading to better, faster, cheaper and more sustainable construction than conventional concrete. We constantly strive to reduce the co2 footprint of 3D printed concrete.
COBOD’s 3D printers made Europe’s first building in 2017. Subsequently our printers made the first 2- and 3-story buildings in Europe (Belgium & Germany), North America (US & Canada) and India. Also, the first 3D printed villa in Dubai and buildings in Africa have been done by COBOD 3D construction printers, just like the first wind turbine bases.
COBOD has an open-source material strategy, partnering with customers, academic institutions, and suppliers around the world.
COBOD is privately owned by General Electric, CEMEX, Holcim and PERI as key shareholders, and our partners further include Dar Al Arkan (Saudi Arabia), L&T Construction (India), JGC (Japan), Siam Cement (Thailand) and Orascom (Egypt).
COBOD is headquartered in Denmark with regional offices and competence centers in Florida and Malaysia. Our team consists of +100 passionate pioneers from 25 nationalities and through our installed base of printers, we have a truly global presence in North- and Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific.