World Intellectual Property Day – J A Kemp Client, Mimicrete

Cement is the most widely-used substance on Earth after water. When mixed with water, it forms concrete that becomes the backbone of buildings, roads, dams and bridges. But the cement industry is responsible for about 8% of planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions — far more than global emissions from air travel.

This problem is being addressed by Cambridge-based environmental engineer Dr Liz Zijing Li, who has invented and patented an ingenious self-healing concrete technology that closes concrete cracks as soon as they open, mimicking the way the human body heals.

Her technology can both lengthen concrete lifetime and reduce the need for repair and replacement, reducing the amount of concrete used and, in turn, related carbon emissions.

Liz, who has been recognized as one of the UK’s top women entrepreneurs by the Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards, works closely with J A Kemp partner, Joe Simon-Brown to protect and commercialise her innovations.

The story is featured in this CIPA video, which has been released on World Intellectual Property Day.