Concrete Action for Life Below Water
EPISODE 13
Shimrit Perkol-Finkel
“Concrete is the second most consumed material on our planet. Second, only to water. It's really alarming. The concrete industry, well, it is striving to go greener, but it is at the moment responsible for seven to eight percent of humanity's carbon emissions.”
Dr. Shimrit Perkol Finkel is co-founder, CEO and chief scientist at ECOncrete, a company creating environmentally-sensitive concrete solutions designed to develop rich and diverse marine life and counter the negative effects of using concrete in coastal areas. By changing the composition, texture and designs of the concrete they produce, the team has created products that can be used by ports, waterfronts, breakwaters and piers to reduce their ecological footprint, and be resilient while fostering and preserving biodiversity.
With over 20 years of experience in marine biology and ecology, as well as diving and exploring different environments, Shimrit is using her expertise in sustainable management and ecological engineering to inspire businesses, governments and project developers, to start using ecological products in coastal construction. You can find ECOncrete’s products in six countries, over six seas. They have been awarded #10 most innovative company by Fast Company and #13 of top 50 women-led companies by Forbes.
Shimrit holds a B.Sc. in Life Sciences and an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Zoology. She was also one of five women entrepreneurs to win the We Empower UN SDG Challenge, a first-of-its-kind global business competition for female entrepreneurs advancing the UN SDGs
UN Sustainable Development Goal #14
Life Below Water
TOP INFLUENTIAL BOOKS:
· 100 Women Using Their Power to Empower - Gayle Kabaker
· A Life Under Water - Charlie Veron
SHOWNOTES
Future and current context
What is the vision of Shimrit Perkol Finkel for ECOncrete and how should preservation of the environment be embedded into coastal constructions? {3:24}
Coming from a background in academia, why did Shimrit see the need to translate that knowledge into practice and create a company? {5:25}
Normal concrete as we know is an energy intensive process and has a heavy carbon footprint, and therefore what are its implications on the marine environment? {6:54}
How will ECOncrete measure its impact on the marine environment? {9:32}
After the passage of hurricane Sandy in the US, Shimrit explains why we need more resilient coastlines. {11:05}
Having patented their technology, Shimrit describes how they are scaling their production. (Also mentions that ECOncrete is already working with port authorities in Rotterdam, Monaco, Hamburg) {14:46}
UN Sustainable Development Goals and personal purpose
Shimrit explains how ECOncrete is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), and how Goal 14 ‘Life Below Water’ is currently behind its targets. {18:23}
More people are now aware of the effects of plastic pollution, but Shimrit points out that loss of marine biodiversity is not receiving enough attention, and their goal is to educate and lead people to take action. {20:57}
Shimrit explains the concept of biomimicry (an approach to imitate nature), and how they have sought inspiration to develop a natural concrete mix. {28:47}
The present and how to build a social-impact business
Shimrit provides an overview of the different investor types who have provided funding into ECOncrete. (Mentions Angel Investors, Venture Capital Firms, other real estate firms) {33:28}
Who are the customers of ECOncrete and how do they use their technology for production of concrete? {35:30}
Shimrit shares an overview of the team, and diverse set of brains at ECOncrete. (A mix of biologists, ecologists, coastal and marine engineers, product and industrial designers) {37:05}
The challenge faced by ECOncrete today is to quantify their biological and ecological impact and how this will aid to their value proposition vis-à-vis their customers. {39:34}
CONNECT WITH SHIMRIT PERKOL FINKEL
SELECTED LINKS FROM EPISODE
Download the Impossible Planet-Centric Design Toolkit: https://www.impossible.com/pcd-methodology
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals │ United Nations
Shimrit Wins UN ‘We Empower’ Award │Forbes
Jacques Cousteau │Cousteau
John Veron │Wikipedia
ECOncrete wins 2020 Ray of Hope award │Biomimicry Institute
Ido Sella – Co Founder of ECOncrete │LinkedIN
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