The building materials industry's leap forward

Beixin Jiaboli Coatings (Anhui) Co., Ltd. is located in Chuzhou City, Anhui Province. The company aims to achieve “efficient collaboration, intelligent optimization, and green environmental protection,” systematically constructing an intelligent manufacturing system that covers the entire process. (Data picture)

In the production workshop of China National Building Material Group’s Zhongfu Shenying Carbon Fiber, workers are inspecting the guide wire wheel. (Data picture)

The evolution of human civilization has always resonated with the development of building materials. The furnace fires of Qin bricks and Han tiles ignited the dawn of artificial building materials; the advent of steel and cement forged the cornerstone of modern architecture, pushing the building materials industry into a new phase of large-scale production.

As an important foundational industry of the national economy, China’s building materials industry encompasses three major categories: building materials and products, non-metallic minerals and products, and inorganic non-metallic new materials. These products directly serve the construction industry and more than 150 other sectors including automotive and electronics, driving over 110 upstream and downstream industries such as electricity and coal.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China places high importance on the development of the building materials industry, rolling out a series of policies and measures to propel the industry towards historic leaps. From the “traditional business” of sand, gravel, bricks, and tiles to the “new tracks” of photovoltaic glass and energy-saving aluminum profiles, China’s building materials industry is writing new answers on the road of industrial upgrades with innovation as its pen.

Optimizing Supply and Expanding Demand: The “Golden Key” to Historical Leaps

At the beginning of the founding of New China, the building materials industry was weak, with not only a shortage in quantity but also a limited variety. In the 1950s, China began mass production of cement, bricks, and tiles; in the 1970s, it started producing glass and ceramics.

Since the reform and opening up, in the face of strong demand for infrastructure construction, increasing building materials output has become a significant economic task. With the expansion of scale, production capacity has accelerated its release. In 1995, the supply-demand pattern of the building materials industry reversed, ending the history of supply not meeting demand, especially for cement.

Entering the new century, reforms in state-owned enterprises in the building materials sector deepened, and the rise of the private economy continued to increase industry concentration. With the advancement of urbanization in China, by 2013, China had become the world’s largest producer and consumer of building materials, forming a complete industrial system.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the number of large-scale enterprises in the building materials industry increased by 36.9%, and total assets grew by 54.2%. Among these, revenue from green building materials products exceeded 250 billion yuan, with an average annual growth of 20%; the annual growth rate of photovoltaic glass production reached 29.4%, accounting for more than 50% of flat glass; the annual growth rate of fiberglass composite materials exceeded 15%, with a global market share of over 40%, becoming the “new three samples” of building material industry development.

Today, from various dimensions, China’s building materials industry is undoubtedly the “world’s number one.”

Looking at production scale, the Chinese building materials market is the largest in the world, with cement production accounting for about half of the global total, flat glass production exceeding 50%, and building ceramics, gypsum board, and wind turbine blades each accounting for over 60%, while fiberglass accounts for over 70%.

Looking at leading enterprises, four out of the top ten building materials companies globally are Chinese; China National Building Material Group has ranked first in global market share for cement engineering for 17 consecutive years, while China Jushi leads the world in fiberglass production capacity, and Beixin Building Materials holds the top capacity for gypsum board globally.

In terms of technological innovation, China’s patent applications in building materials are first in the world, accounting for over 40% globally; the numerical control rate of key processes in the industry is nearly 70%, with technologies like ultra-thin glass and OLED substrates breaking foreign monopolies.

Regarding trade exports, the building materials export amount is expected to reach approximately $33.5 billion by 2025, with high value-added products accounting for about 40% of exports, and technical glass and high-performance fibers becoming the main drivers of growth.

However, alongside the rapid development of the industry, structural contradictions are also occasionally manifesting.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the cement, glass, and other traditional industries faced overcapacity; the concentration in the ceramics industry was relatively low, with leading enterprises holding less than 10% of the market; the inorganic non-metallic new materials industry and the non-metallic minerals and processed products industry also face issues of low-level homogenous competition; the traditional production models with high energy consumption and emissions differ from the “dual carbon” goals.

More concerning is the continued decline in economic benefits in the building materials industry. Compared to 2020, the operating income of the large-scale building materials industry is expected to decline by 12.7% year-on-year in 2024, with total profits dropping by 65.5%, and the proportion of loss-making enterprises increasing by 14.9 percentage points to 27.9%.

Experts believe this is the result of multiple factors, including demand contraction, overcapacity, and high costs. Yan Xiaofeng, Secretary of the Party Committee and President of the China National Building Materials Federation, stated that changes in the macroeconomic environment and deep adjustments in market demand have led to a slowdown in the growth rate of the building materials industry, increasing the pressure to maintain growth. For instance, adjustments in the real estate market directly affect the demand for upstream products like cement and steel; additionally, the proposal of the “dual carbon” goals has imposed cost pressures on building materials companies in terms of energy consumption, environmental protection, and carbon emissions.

The reality is clear, prompting the industry to reflect: how can the growing pains be alleviated? What path should the industry take for high-quality development?

The building materials industry is a highly market-oriented sector, also belonging to heavy asset, essential industries; adequate production capacity is a prerequisite for ensuring the stability of the industrial supply chain. However, production capacity is not always better the higher it is; under market mechanisms, fluctuations in capacity are normal, but capacity must match demand.

Resolving structural contradictions in the industry and addressing the widespread decline in economic benefits is critical. Many seasoned practitioners admit that the scale of traditional building materials industries such as cement, architectural glass, and sanitary ceramics has reached its peak, and structural contradictions have become the main constraint on industry development. The urgent task is to accelerate the process of capacity reduction in accordance with laws and regulations to resolve supply-demand imbalances.

In 2025, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and five other departments jointly issued the “Work Plan for Stabilizing Growth in the Building Materials Industry (2025-2026)” (hereinafter referred to as the “Work Plan”), proposing five major measures to strengthen industry management, enhance technological innovation, expand effective investment, broaden consumption demand, and deepen open cooperation, while listing “effectively improving profit levels and continuously enhancing the industry’s technological innovation capabilities” as primary goals for industry development.

Under the guidance of the “Work Plan,” there is a strong consensus in the industry about “anti-involution, stabilizing growth, and enhancing self-discipline,” which is being actively put into action. Recently released data shows that by 2025, the decline in operating income and total profits of the large-scale building materials industry narrowed by 0.5 percentage points and 40.6 percentage points year-on-year, respectively.

Looking at the development of the building materials industry, transformation and upgrading have always been a major theme. Continuously optimizing supply and expanding demand is the secret to achieving breakthroughs in the building materials industry. In the pursuit of a dynamic balance between production capacity and demand, the industry has found the “key” to high-quality development: driven by policy and market competition, promoting intelligence and greening, and making substantial efforts to adapt to new domestic demands and explore new foreign markets.

Intelligent Manufacturing Leads: Enhancing Technological “Hard Power”

In interviews with building materials companies, “technology” is a buzzword.

Leading enterprises in the sub-sectors of glass, ceramics, and cement have already completed the transition from “experience-driven” to “data-driven.” Through technological iteration, they have shed the old labels of traditional building materials being low value-added and functionally singular, upgrading products towards higher performance and multifunctionality. Moreover, this trend is spreading from leading enterprises to the entire industry.

——Turning losses into profits relies on technology. Cement is a foundational core segment of the building materials industry, facing pressures from a decline in both price and quantity due to unbalanced industry structure, regional overcapacity, and weakened market demand. Leading with technology and through digital transformation, efficiency has improved, costs lowered, and the industry has achieved overall profitability.

At the Jinju Jidong Cement Tongchuan Company, a 10,000-ton clinker production line is showcasing an automated production transformation — previously relying on experience to adjust parameters, production can now predict and adjust in advance, achieving automated quality closed-loop control and site inspection.

“The establishment of a comprehensive intelligent quality control system has equipped cement production with a ‘smart brain’ and ‘far-sighted eye,’ ensuring double quality assurance for every bag of cement,” said Feng Hao, General Manager of Jidong Cement Tongchuan Co., Ltd. “Through digital means, employees can be liberated from single, heavy, and risky labor on the production site, shifting to high-value new positions.”

From weighing materials, storage, inventory, and retrieval to product dispatch, the entire operation has been fully automated, with transport vehicle loading and unloading times reduced by nearly 70%, and material transfer efficiency improved by nearly 300%; quality control sampling, transmission, sample preparation, and testing are automated to achieve 100% accuracy in testing eight core indicators of coal powder; the product factory sample retention process has replaced manual work with AGV + robot applications, achieving 100% automated sample retention coverage…

“Our energy consumption is 12% lower than similar scale production lines, and the annual electricity savings can meet the needs of 20,000 households for a year,” Feng Hao said.

——Rich scenes rely on technology. Among the “new three samples” of building materials, special glass serves as a key functional material, widely adapting to diverse scenarios like building facades, high-end manufacturing, and biomedicine, becoming an important link between the building materials industry and emerging fields.

As light as a cicada’s wing, 0.12 mm ultrathin float glass, copper indium gallium selenide power-generating glass for building facades, and 30-micron ultrathin flexible glass that can be folded a million times… In the exhibition hall of the China National Building Material Group Glass New Materials Research Institute (hereinafter referred to as “Research Institute Group”), glass presents itself in “thousands of forms.”

“In the past, when people thought of glass, they would think of the heavy sheets used for doors and windows, but now glass has broken through the dual boundaries of form and function, achieving a transition from traditional uses to modern applications,” pointed out Yang Jianqiang, Deputy Chief Engineer of the Research Institute Group, as he gestured towards samples in the display case.

Currently, the Research Institute Group has successfully mass-produced China’s first 8.5-generation TFT-LCD glass substrate with independent intellectual property rights; independently developed internationally leading 30-micron ultrathin flexible glass; successfully launched the world’s first 8.6-generation OLED glass substrate; and built China’s first neutral borosilicate medicinal glass tube production line, breaking foreign monopolies… Over the past 70 years, this “national glass team” has cumulatively received one National Technological Invention Award, three National Science and Technology Progress Awards, and over 3,000 authorized patents, pushing China’s building materials technology to the forefront of the world.

“Research and development of glass is a marathon,” said Cao Xin, Deputy Director of the National Key Laboratory of Advanced Glass Materials. To overcome the micro-defects in the 8.5-generation glass substrate, the team repeatedly adjusted dozens of parameters, ultimately reducing the number of particle defects in each glass sheet from tens of thousands to fewer than 40.

“Sticking to the ‘main track’ of advanced glass materials and building a new model of integration among innovation chains, engineering chains, and industrial chains, Chinese glass is moving to the center of the world stage,” said Peng Shou, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and President of the Research Institute.

——Efficiency enhancement relies on technology. Fiberglass is a completely different building material type from special glass. China is leading the world in this field with a dramatic lead, relying not only on scale but also on production efficiency enhanced by technology.

Fiberglass has a diameter of only one-twentieth to one-fifth that of a human hair and weighs only one-fourth of steel, yet its tensile strength is three times that of steel. A bundle of fiberglass as thick as a finger can withstand the pull of two cars coming towards each other without breaking. Due to the combination of “performance enhancement + controllable costs,” fiberglass not only strengthens plastic products in terms of mechanics, heat resistance, and dimensional stability but also becomes a core material driving innovation in industries such as automotive, wind energy, and electronics due to its high cost-performance ratio.

Entering the intelligent manufacturing base of China Jushi Co., Ltd. located in Tongxiang City, Zhejiang Province, the world’s largest and most advanced fiberglass intelligent factory operates efficiently. White fiberglass yarns shuttle quickly between winding machines, accurately winding up, with automated conveyor lines flowing throughout, and AGV intelligent robots flexibly navigating for delivery, while robotic arms accurately grab and transport. From production to transportation to packaging, the entire process achieves high-efficiency collaboration between humans and machines.

The data control center’s display screen shows environmental indicators, operational analysis, energy efficiency, and other production data clearly, with real-time updates on data charts, monitoring production indicators for processes, quality, energy consumption, and efficiency throughout.

“From precise raw material ratios to final product testing, every link is supported by intelligent systems,” introduced Yu Yadong, Director of the Information Technology Center at China Jushi Co., Ltd. The intelligent manufacturing base has achieved comprehensive intelligent management through technologies like the industrial internet, artificial intelligence, and virtual-real integration, significantly enhancing production efficiency.

——Value enhancement relies on technology. Exploring the development trajectory of the ceramics industry in recent years reveals the “gold content” of technology.

At the 2025 China (Beijing) International Boutique Ceramics Expo, the color-changing ceramics presented by Mona Lisa Group attracted many attendees. “The breakthroughs in new technologies are supported by research platforms and R&D mechanisms, propelling architectural ceramics from a single decorative material to a composite material that integrates functionality and artistry, providing the industry with a rich choice of new materials,” said Li Huiwen, Deputy General Manager of the R&D Center at Mona Lisa.

From 2014 to 2017, China’s ceramic sales exceeded 10 billion square meters for four consecutive years, but after 2018, market demand declined, and overcapacity issues became prominent. “Compared to industries like cement and glass, the ceramics industry has a relatively low industry concentration and insufficient operating rates,” stated Chen Huan, Vice President of the China Ceramic Industry Association, to the Economic Daily. The industry urgently needs to achieve high-quality development through quality improvement, digital construction, and service extension.

Faced with industry changes, innovation is the only way to break the deadlock. Zhang Qikang, a director at Mona Lisa Group, stated, “We are focusing on two key areas to excel. First, we aim to achieve technology iteration by renovating kiln structures and developing ammonia-hydrogen zero-carbon combustion technology to ensure nitrogen oxide emissions are better than natural gas standards. Second, we are promoting standard leadership, taking the lead in formulating the world’s first national standard for ‘zero-carbon fuel high-temperature fired ceramic tiles (boards),’ thus mastering technological discourse power in the industry.”

Through research on thinness and functionality, zero-carbon combustion and ceramic thin plates have gained market recognition. This indicates that investment in technology is not an additional cost, but a lever for product upgrades and competitiveness enhancement. “We are striving to achieve more breakthroughs in products and innovation in models in a ‘small-step, quick-run’ manner to accumulate strength for greater leaps,” Chen Huan said.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the building materials industry released five batches of “ranking lists,” determining 76 key directions for tackling challenges and 174 R&D teams, with several tackling and industrialization projects receiving national funding support. More than 70 new building materials were added to the “Key New Materials First Application Demonstration Guiding Directory,” along with 12 new national key laboratories and 11 industry technology innovation platforms. Data shows that by 2024, the R&D investment intensity in the building materials industry will reach 1.32%, an increase of 0.44 percentage points compared to 2020, exceeding the average level of the raw materials industry.

The “technological gene” of the building materials industry has been fully activated, and the path for transformation and upgrading is becoming clear. At the 2025 Building Materials Industry Conference, a batch of world-first and globally leading technologies and products such as the 8.6-generation OLED glass substrate, low-carbon building materials digital R&D and intelligent design platform, “super cold cement” — inorganic radiation cooling metamaterials, and a 10,000-ton cement “zero-employee” demonstration factory were officially unveiled. As technological innovation and industrial innovation deeply integrate, artificial intelligence is helping the building materials industry transition from “manufacturing” to “intelligent manufacturing.”

Zero Carbon is Key: Smooth Industry “Micro-Circulation”

As a typical resource and energy-dependent industry, the total carbon emissions of the building materials industry account for a high proportion in the industrial sector, and its green and low-carbon transition is crucial not only for its sustainable development but also for achieving China’s “dual carbon” goals.

Traditional building materials production heavily relies on fossil energy and primary resources, resulting in high carbon emission intensity and facing long-term risks of resource depletion and environmental pollution. How to find a balance between steady growth and carbon reduction? The “zero carbon” transition is the core lever.

From the China National Building Materials Federation issuing an initiative for early carbon peaks to the entire industry, releasing carbon emissions reports, to formulating the “Implementation Plan for Carbon Peaks in the Building Materials Industry,” and then developing carbon reduction technology guidelines and energy-saving carbon reduction research reports for six sub-sectors including cement and flat glass, the “four pillars” of the building materials industry’s zero carbon transition are gradually being constructed.

Moreover, the Building Materials Federation has innovatively proposed the concept of “six zeros” factories: zero external electricity purchase factories, zero fossil energy factories, zero primary resource factories, zero carbon emission factories, zero waste discharge factories, and zero employee factories. This is a forward-looking design for the industry’s “micro-circulation” — achieving a closed-loop sustainability for the entire production process through energy self-sufficiency, resource recycling, and waste zeroing, providing a reference for the industry’s transformation.

The zero carbon transition is a systematic project, involving top-level design leadership, key challenges in specific fields, and technical innovation support. Sub-sectors like cement, ceramics, and fiberglass are actively exploring new models such as zero carbon factories and zero fossil energy factories, making green and low-carbon development a new focus of industry competition.

In the total carbon emissions composition of the building materials industry, the cement sector accounts for about 80%, and its ultra-low emissions transformation is crucial for the green transition of the entire industry. In January 2024, several ministries jointly issued “Opinions on Promoting the Implementation of Ultra-Low Emissions in the Cement Industry,” accelerating the transformation of the cement industry towards ultra-low emissions across all processes and links. In March 2025, the cement industry was officially included in the national carbon emissions trading market.

The core breakthrough for zero carbon in the cement industry is energy substitution. At Chongqing Huaxin Diwei Cement Co., Ltd. located in Luohuang Town, Jiangjin District, with a heavy truck loaded with solid waste slowly entering, the comprehensive utilization center for high proportions of alternative fuels within the factory began operations. The solid waste materials, such as waste cloth strips and automobile dismantling materials carried by the truck, are pre-treated and crushed into small pieces, then precisely fed into the kiln for combustion, replacing traditional coal for clinker production, achieving a resource transformation of “turning waste into treasure.”

“Currently, our fossil fuel substitution rate exceeds 65%,” said Zhou Zhipeng, Executive General Manager of Chongqing Huaxin Diwei Cement Co., Ltd. After calculating, the development and application of high proportions of alternative fuel technology can save the cement factory 26,600 tons of standard coal each year, reduce emissions of 12,300 tons of carbon dioxide, and achieve comprehensive economic benefits of 12 million yuan.

“The high chlorine content in alternative fuels easily leads to blockage in preheaters and excessive chloride ions in clinkers,” said Wang Zhenxiang, Head of the Technical Department at Chongqing Huaxin Diwei Cement Co., Ltd. Relying on the mature technological reserves of Huaxin Building Materials Group in the field of environmentally friendly cement processes, the company has targeted the application of its independently developed bypass venting system, effectively reducing the cycle accumulation of chloride ions in the kiln system and ensuring the quality of clinkers. At the same time, it employs a washing technique to extract potassium chloride by-products, ultimately completing the closed loop of alternative fuel comprehensive utilization, making green development more sustainable.

The fiberglass industry is reconstructing its production model through “industry chain collaboration + technological integration innovation,” creating a broader “micro-circulation.”

“We are not only manufacturing products but are also exploring new paths for sustainable industry development,” said Gu Jianding, Executive Director and General Manager of Jushi Group Huai’an Co., Ltd. At the company’s global fiberglass industry first “zero carbon intelligent manufacturing” base, a 233-megawatt wind farm project has been completed, with an annual wind power generation of 600 million kilowatt-hours, reducing carbon emissions by over 400,000 tons, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 150,000 households.

All the green electricity generated by the base project is fed into the national grid, with part supplied to the base for fiberglass production and another part sent to thousands of households, achieving a green electricity supply for production and daily life, thus forming a micro-circulation for fiberglass and composite material applications. This technological integration innovation and production model reconstruction set a new benchmark for the entire building materials industry.

The ceramics industry’s technological route focuses on “combustion technology innovation,” addressing the high emissions pain points during the firing process.

Traditional ceramic production relies on fossil fuels like coal and natural gas, resulting in high carbon emission intensity and facing risks from fluctuating energy prices. Enterprises represented by Mona Lisa Group are striving to break through this dilemma.

At Mona Lisa Group’s headquarters in Foshan, the world’s first demonstration production line for ammonia-hydrogen zero-carbon combustion technology in the ceramic industry (hereinafter referred to as “demonstration production line”) uses 100% pure ammonia as fuel, representing a truly “zero carbon industrial kiln.” The 150-meter demonstration production line has an annual output of 1.5 million square meters. “The demonstration production line has successfully overcome six major technical challenges in the industry, including high-energy ignition of pure ammonia and precise control of NOx emissions throughout the kiln, and is equipped with a digital operation system for ammonia-hydrogen zero-carbon combustion, enabling integrated management of production, energy consumption, and ammonia escape detection,” said Zhao Yong, Deputy General Manager of the R&D Center at Mona Lisa Group.

Today, the green and low-carbon concept has deeply integrated into the building materials industry. Sixteen pilot enterprises in the industry, including Huaxin, Jidong, Jinjing, and Yaob glass, have completed energy-saving and carbon-reduction transformation verification on 19 production lines, with some reaching international advanced levels. The cement, ceramics, and fiberglass industries have built the world’s first production lines for zero external electricity purchase, ammonia-hydrogen zero-carbon combustion, and zero carbon emissions.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, carbon dioxide emissions from the building materials industry have continuously declined. Compared to 2020, carbon dioxide emissions from the building materials industry are expected to decrease by 24.9% by 2025, with energy consumption per ten thousand yuan of added value dropping by 17.4%, and carbon dioxide emissions per ten thousand yuan of industrial added value decreasing by 25.3%.

“Following the cement industry’s timely achievement of carbon peaks, the entire building materials industry has reached carbon peaks and is moving towards the era of carbon neutrality,” said Yan Xiaofeng.

Material Innovation Raises Market “Thermal Value”

Despite facing multiple challenges, the consensus among industry insiders regarding the long-term positive fundamentals of the building materials industry has not changed. “Traditional infrastructure improvement and proactive investment in new infrastructure will provide stable demand support for the industry; strategic emerging industries will drive rising demand for new materials like photovoltaic glass and advanced ceramics,” experts say. As industrial structural adjustments and demand upgrades continue, the driving roles of industrial sectors and consumer spending are increasing, especially the construction of “good houses” will provide new market space for the development of the building materials industry.

——“Good houses” cannot be separated from “good materials.”

“What role does graphene play in sheet materials?” At the “Good Materials” section of the 22nd China International Housing Industry and Building Industrialization Products and Equipment Expo, a visitor picked up a sample sheet from the booth and asked. The section features many “good materials” that can quickly stimulate the interest of the audience.

Using a formaldehyde-removing cement for decoration, the purification efficiency reaches 82%, with a lasting effect of 73%; anti-condensation and super-hydrophobic coatings provide buildings with a “protective outer layer”; concrete embedded with smart aggregates grants structures sensing capabilities; color-changing cement makes buildings “whiter with exposure,” effectively reducing heat absorption and aiding building energy efficiency… These “good materials,” connecting technological innovation with a beautiful life, have garnered admiration from visitors.

Energy-saving materials, creative energy materials, functional materials, and smart materials are all “good materials” needed for constructing “good houses.”

In November 2025, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and five other departments issued the “Implementation Plan for Enhancing the Adaptability of Consumer Goods Supply and Demand to Further Promote Consumption,” focusing on key industries like smart connected new energy vehicles, smart homes, and green building materials, aiming to create a hundred iconic products, a hundred innovative enterprises, and a series of new product first-use scenarios that can be experienced and promoted. This has become a new driving force for the accelerated application of new technologies in the building materials industry.

In addition to strengthening research on “good materials” through the “ranking lists” and “horse racing” mechanisms, the building materials industry is also proactively advancing traceability of building materials product quality and the promotion of product usage instructions, accelerating the formulation of selection standards for “good materials,” and closing the “last mile” for precise matching and safe application of “good materials” in “good houses.”

To meet the construction scene and “good house” construction requirements, the China National Building Materials Federation, based on soliciting industry opinions, proposed that “good materials” must possess four characteristics: health, safety, greenness, and quality.

Specifically, health refers to materials having lower limits of toxic and harmful pollutants, being harmless to health, and being able to actively adjust the environment for health benefits; safety means that materials should be stable and durable, capable of long-term support for the stability of building structures and performance, ensuring building safety; greenness indicates that materials should have significant ecological attributes throughout their lifecycle, including energy conservation, water conservation, material saving, carbon reduction, and reuse, while helping buildings achieve energy conservation and carbon reduction; quality means that materials should meet consumer demands and enable quality traceability with clear product usage instructions, ensuring consumer confidence.

The attention given to the “good materials” section reflects the growing expectations and demand for “good materials” from all parties. The industry hopes that building materials companies will continue to strengthen technological innovation and product innovation, implement product quality traceability, and ensure integrity in production, bringing health, safety, greenness, and quality “good materials” into thousands of households.

At Beixin Building Materials Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Beixin Building Materials”), the new type of gypsum board lightweight steel frame partition wall has become a flagship product. Compared to traditional block walls, its thickness is reduced by about half, achieving sound insulation of over 50 decibels, surpassing the standards of the “Residential Project Specifications.” Mao Xinfeng, General Manager of the Strategic Marketing Department of Beixin Building Materials, explained that the new type of gypsum board lightweight steel frame partition wall can increase indoor usable space by about 8% while ensuring the same performance.

A clear trend is emerging: the building materials industry is actively seeking change, transitioning from traditional product suppliers to providers of “good house” solutions. From walls that can “breathe” to cement that can store energy, from concrete that senses structural safety to power-generating glass that achieves energy self-sufficiency, “good building materials” are reshaping people’s imagination of “good houses.”

In the future, the industry will focus on developing and producing new green building materials, integrating intelligent technologies, constructing “good houses,” and developing products for the elderly, launching more green, environmentally friendly, high-quality “good materials,” providing consumers with more humane design, greener healthy environments, and smarter living experiences. This has become the common understanding and action direction of building materials enterprises.

——“Good materials” cannot be separated from “good standards.”

Expanding the supply of new building materials requires collective effort from the entire industry. Experts believe that further construction of an ecological system of “basic research — applied research — production manufacturing — downstream application” should be developed from aspects such as platforms, projects, and standards specifications, scientifically formulating lists of key technological indicators for specific fields, and continuously improving the technological innovation and quality levels of the building materials industry.

To support the construction of “good houses” with “good materials,” the “General Provisions for Selecting Good Materials” (hereinafter referred to as “Provisions”) was officially released during the 2025 Building Materials Industry Conference. As the first selection standard for “good materials” in the building materials industry, the “Provisions” will officially be implemented starting January 1, 2026, providing a unified basis for ensuring the materials used in “good houses” from the source, making it easier for consumers to select materials.

The “Provisions” clarify the core technical indicators that “good materials” must meet: health indicators focus on non/low volatile organic compounds, antibacterial and anti-mold performances; safety indicators cover fire prevention, earthquake resistance, and durability requirements; green indicators emphasize energy conservation and carbon reduction throughout the entire lifecycle; quality indicators focus on enhancing material performance and quality traceability. The standard categorizes “good materials” into three levels: AAA, AAAA, and AAAAA, with AAA exceeding current standards, AAAA surpassing the industry average, and AAAAA reaching international advanced levels.

Undoubtedly, the “Provisions” can regulate enterprises and serve consumers. With the support of “good standards,” the building materials industry continues to strengthen research on “good materials,” systematically carrying out research on “good materials” product systems, functional systems, and standard systems, promoting integration and development in the building and construction fields, and advancing the transformation and upgrading of the industry through the construction of a “good materials” supply system.

Lu Xi is a manager at a waterproof materials company. Their newly developed waterproof membrane is reliable and cost-effective, but customers hesitate to use the new product due to the lack of accompanying standards.

To obtain this “entry ticket” of standards, the company further upgraded and improved product performance in accordance with product standard requirements; actively participated in training to master knowledge of the standards. As market recognition has increased, they have started collaborating with top domestic universities and research institutes to develop new products and compile supporting group standards.

“From conforming to the execution standards to participating in standardization work and leading the formulation of standards, we have entered the top tier of the industry, extending our business scope and actively exploring overseas markets,” Lu Xi reflected, noting that this change isn’t luck but rather the confidence gained from “good standards.”

Global Layout: Open and Collaborative “New Ecology”

To manage the domestic market well, it is also necessary to continuously win in the international market.

For Chinese building materials companies, many emerging countries have low urbanization rates and immense investment potential. In recent years, Chinese building materials products and services have been well received in many countries. Responding to climate change has become a common consensus in the international community, and China’s green and low-carbon transition in the building materials industry also provides broad space for international development of the industry.

Taking cement as an example, in recent years, Chinese cement companies have accelerated their “going global” pace, injecting vitality into the economic development of countries investing abroad and enhancing global infrastructure construction levels. Some enterprises are actively expanding international capacity cooperation, promoting the optimization and upgrading of local manufacturing industries.

Over ten years ago, Huaxin Building Materials Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Huaxin Building Materials”) set its sights on overseas markets. To date, it has invested in over 60 various building materials production plants in 14 countries along the “Belt and Road.” The company’s annual cement production capacity in overseas operations and under construction has exceeded 40 million tons, with cumulative foreign investments of about $2.3 billion and approximately $6 billion in overseas revenue; it has gradually established a model for local employee training and development, with over 80% of nearly 7,000 employees in overseas companies being local hires, indirectly creating tens of thousands of jobs. “In 2025, against the backdrop of sluggish performance growth in the domestic cement industry, Huaxin’s total assets, operating revenue, total profits, and employee numbers have all maintained growth, mainly benefiting from the rapid development and contributions of the company’s overseas business,” said Li Yeqing, President of Huaxin Building Materials.

Based on steady growth in export scale, more building materials companies are moving beyond a single product export model, extending the industrial chain overseas, exploring deeper internationalization paths through offshore investment in factories. From setting up plants in Southeast Asia and building stations in Africa to cooperation in the Middle East and participating in international exhibitions, a number of Chinese building materials brands are accelerating the transition from “exporting products” to “exporting brands,” focusing on technology output, brand establishment, and localizing supply chains.

“We are focusing on areas like semiconductor materials, glass base materials, and optoelectronic materials, using technological innovation to drive industrial innovation, expanding our ‘circle of friends,’ and co-building an open and collaborative ‘new ecology,’” said Zhou Yuxian, Chairman of China National Building Material Group Co., Ltd.

By hosting overseas promotional events for the group, forming four strategic cooperation agreements and 26 key tasks, and grouping together to “go out”; building cross-border e-commerce platforms like Yidan.com, with revenue growth exceeding 30% for building materials chain supermarkets and Yidan.com, expanding overseas marketing networks; forming a “technology + equipment + engineering + operation” full-chain output model to enhance international competitiveness… China National Building Material Group is actively promoting new materials, new technologies, and quality services globally, with global market shares exceeding 65% for cement and glass engineering.

An increasing number of building materials companies are actively engaging in cross-border technological innovation cooperation, establishing long-term stable relationships and collaborations with international organizations such as the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the Global Cement and Concrete Association, and the German Cement Association.

Setting sail for the “going out” strategy, the performance growth of the building materials industry is impressive. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the import and export volume of building materials and non-metallic mineral products reached an annual average of $75 billion, with a growth rate exceeding 50%; complete sets of green and low-carbon technology equipment and engineering services, represented by cement, flat glass, building ceramics, and wall materials, “going out,” have continuously expanded the scope of international cooperation and diversified fields; the scale of foreign investments has continued to grow, with investment structures being optimized and overseas layouts accelerating.

Sun Xingshou, Vice President of the China National Building Materials Federation, suggested that deep participation in the global building materials industry division of labor should be emphasized to enhance global resource allocation capabilities, and accelerate the construction of a global industrial layout that aligns with the new development pattern.

——Strengthen “hard connectivity” for international development. Building materials companies should actively adapt to international economic and trade green low-carbon transformation requirements, optimize building materials product export structures, leverage green low-carbon technology and equipment advantages, and provide the world with high-quality low-carbon building materials products, technologies, equipment, and services. Strengthen planning for overseas layouts to achieve localized development. Enhance all-around cooperation with international enterprises and institutions, and encourage leading companies to establish overseas R&D centers to jointly promote the green and low-carbon development of the international building materials industry.

——Promote “soft connectivity” for international cooperation. Strengthen international information tracking and research, and conduct risk assessments for key countries and regions. Building materials companies should enhance supply-demand matching and engage in international exchanges and cooperation in areas such as technology, measurement, standards, and certification, promoting mutual recognition in carbon accounting, carbon footprints, and inspection and testing fields, facilitating deeper integration of products and services into international markets.

Hard connectivity lays the foundation, and soft connectivity empowers, ultimately reflected in precise landing strategies. “In constructing product combination models, building materials companies are advised to shift from a single product supply to full-category integration, offering ‘integrated solutions’; in international strategic layering, emphasize solution-oriented exports to European and American markets while focusing on localized investment in African and Southeast Asian markets; in engineering technology output, companies are advised to ‘go out’ with equipment and technology systems instead of traditional engineering contracting, thereby enhancing global competitiveness,” Sun Xingshou said.

The historical tapestry has been laid out in continuity, and a new chapter will be written in vigorous efforts. In the past, the building materials industry has continuously kept pace with the demands of the times, meeting the needs for development. In the future, the industry will continue to aim for “benefiting humanity through quality products,” promoting intelligent, green, and international development, constantly realizing new values, and contributing to the beautiful lives of people. (Economic Daily reporters Zhu Junbi, Qiao Jinliang, Pan Zhuoran)