Young talent Peter Zhou
Creates better products, while influencing climate change at the same time
INTERVIEW AND PODCAST
Meet Carbon Upcycling Technologies (CUT). A trailblazing company in Calgary (CA) that has pushed hard-to-decarbonise industries into the ‘Carbon Age’.
Listen to our Fortify podcast, where young talent Peter Zhou shares his thoughts about sustainability, innovations and the importance of IP:
They transform local industrial by-products and natural materials into superior additives using ground breaking technologies. Corrosion coating, concrete, cement and even yoga mats; CUT is showing the world how they can create better products, while influencing climate change at the same time. And they’re just getting started.
Peter Zhou, head of product development at CUT: “Overall, as a group, we’re very diverse and youthful. None of us have 40 years of cement-industry knowledge. That in itself has had a little bit of resistance. But the data we produce speaks for itself. I think that being young is advantageous. We like to challenge the status quo and we don’t accept things the way they are. One of our toughest jobs is to keep the amount of people that we annoy to a minimum, haha. But we push hard enough to get the results.”
One example of those results is CUT’s most advanced product, its CO2-embedded concrete additive. The product reduces the carbon footprint of concrete manufacturing by up to 25% while increasing the compressive strength of concrete by up to 40%.
“It took a while in the beginning, but our work and products are now recognised all over the world. The industry couldn’t look away, we deliver irrefutable proof and data that this works.”
If you calculate in that built environments account for 40% of annual carbon emissions, you can only imagine the potential of CUT’s impact.
NLO and CUT have been working together for years. “It is vital that our intellectual property is accurately safeguarded. It’s great to work with experts that provide us advise and work with us on strategy, especially considering our company’s growth. We’re still learning and working with NLO means that our enterprise is protected and set up for success.”
A last bit of advice to other companies wanting to make an impact?
“The biggest misconception around climate change is time. Do something now, regardless of how small it might seem. Don’t wait until 2049.”
