The construction sector has no shortage of ambition on sustainability. Targets are set and roadmaps are in place. What is still missing is the real-world evidence needed to move materials from pilot into project specifications.
It has to start somewhere. This time, it started with a 3-metre wall.
Breaking Ground on Sustainable Materials
On March 26, 2026, The GEAR hosted Breaking Ground on Sustainable Materials, which brought together researchers, innovators, investors, and construction leaders to examine what it will take to move the materials transition forward.
Against this backdrop, Adaptavate also held their Asia launch event at The GEAR, which hosted an intimate group of investors and industry professionals for a first-look at the showcase wall installation and deep-dive into the products.
A First in Asia
Adaptavate is a UK-based materials company focused on developing low-carbon and carbon-negative alternatives that can integrate into existing construction workflows. Its product portfolio includes a range of alternatives to conventional wallboard and plaster -Breathaboard, Carbonboard and Breathaplasta- which offer different benefits such as circularity, moisture regulation and carbon negativity.
As part of The GEAR’s Startup CoLab programme, Adaptavate unveiled its first demonstration in Asia at The GEAR, an exclusive showcase highlighting how its circular and carbon-negative materials can integrate seamlessly into regional construction systems without requiring changes to existing workflows or installation methods.
With Asia accounting for around half of global construction activity and experiencing rapid growth in demand for low-carbon, circular, healthy materials, Adaptavate sees the region as a key driver of its international expansion.
Tom Robinson, CEO & Founder of Adaptavate, said:
“Decarbonising construction at global scale requires materials that are high-performance, low-carbon or carbon-negative, and genuinely drop-in. This installation shows how Adaptavate’s products can integrate into Asian construction systems today – without disruption – while delivering healthier, lower-carbon buildings. We are excited to deepen our collaboration with Kajima and the other partners and actors in the market and build further partnerships across the region to bring our technologies and products to market.”
The installation at The GEAR is an opportunity to observe how these materials perform in real conditions, and to begin building a local performance record that can be referenced by project teams evaluating their use.
Beth Henderson, Lead, Innovation & Commercialisation, The GEAR, said:
“Our mission is to bridge the gap between technology development and real-world commercial use. Adaptavate’s approach to carbon-negative and circular construction materials addresses a critical need in the sector, and this first wall in The GEAR demonstrates the very real opportunity for solutions like these across Asia.”
What Comes Next
This installation is a starting point for Adaptavate: scaling will depend on building a body of evidence under local conditions, across multiple projects and use cases.
The GEAR’s role is to provide a platform where that evidence can be generated in real buildings, under real operating conditions and with real feedback from the people who design, build, and use these spaces.
The path from pilot to specification runs through proof, and The GEAR will continue to work with Adaptavate and other new materials companies alike, to generate early proof points that can support scaled up adoption across the sector.
Further reading: See Adaptavate’s press release here.
