An inspiring workshop titled “Pathways for Self-Sustainable Local Supply Chains for Construction Materials in Informal and Neglected Settlements” took place at The Ole Sereni Hotel in Nairobi on Friday 6th December 2025. This event brought together students, industry professionals, and international organizations to explore how local businesses can synergistically interact with existing supply streams to create a greener built environment and achieve better informality.
The workshop is part of the Circular B-I/O project, a collaboration between the The Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing(BAM), Meru University of Science and Technology, and SRH Berlin University of Applied Sciences. Great contributions were also received from the University of Nairobi and the UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme).
The Circular B-I/O project, funded by VolkswagenStiftung, aims to develop circular concrete solutions using agricultural waste and invasive species while promoting sustainable construction practices and local supply chains. Moreover, the Interactive World Café Sessions facilitated collaborative discussions on actionable ideas to create revolutionary change in construction across Africa. The remarkable speakers included Dr.Wolfram Schmidt, Dr.Kabibi Kamashanju Ph.D, Dr. Joseph Mwiti Marangu ,Silvester Abuodha Mr. Jamil Mahdy Famau and Mr.Erick Muchuku from UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme).
The Institute of Cement and Concrete(ICC) was well represented by postgraduate students who greatly benefited from the workshop, highlighting sustainable practices and reinforcing stakeholder partnerships for lasting impacts.