Textile materials of the future for the construction industry discussed at the National Centre RUSSIA

The ways smart materials can transform the appearance of cities and road infrastructure, while increasing their reliability and energy efficiency, were explored at the expert discussion session "Technical Textiles in Construction and Roads: Innovations, Materials and Solutions of the Future". The session was held on 17 December at the National Centre RUSSIA and formed part of the programme of the International Forum of Technical Textiles 2025.

The discussion was moderated by the Technical Director of the nonwoven materials factory Ves Mir (The Whole World), Sofia Gromova, and the Director for Development of Soterra LLC, Secretary of the Russian Branch of the International Geosynthetics Society, Konstantin Vachnadze. Opening the session, Sofia Gromova emphasised the strategic importance of the sector.

"A strategy for the development of the light industry is currently being drafted in the country, and technical textiles will occupy a special place in it. This is no coincidence, as they form the foundation for many industries. Their development represents our technological sovereignty, enabling sustainable growth and competitive advantage. However, it is important to understand that this is now not only, and not so much, about import substitution. Above all, these must be forward-looking solutions that will allow us to achieve a technological breakthrough," Sofia Gromova said.

One of the key topics of the discussion was the challenge of implementing innovations that already exist. The Chief Specialist of the Central Institute for Research and Design of the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services of the Russian Federation (TSNIIP of the Ministry of Construction of Russia), Professor at the National Research Moscow State University of Civil Engineering, and Candidate of Technical Sciences, Arkady Granovsky, shared a telling example of using composite materials to improve the reliability of building structures, including in seismically hazardous regions of the country.

"Five to seven years ago, we conducted tests and obtained outstanding results: the strength of concrete reinforced with composite materials proved to be several times higher than that of concrete reinforced with conventional metal meshes. However, when we attempted to introduce our development, it turned out that there were no regulatory standards, and designers were very cautious about scientific proposals. The proposals themselves are good, they say, but who will take responsibility? Meanwhile, the construction industry accounts for 14 per cent of GDP — it is an area where there is money, yet the main problem lies precisely in the lack of a regulatory framework," Arkady Granovsky noted.

The experts also discussed specific innovative products that are already ready for practical application. The Director General of Ampertex LLC, Pavel Pogrebnyakov, presented a technology based on conductive polymer fibres designed to protect roads and structures from icing. As a successful example, he cited a heated bus stop in the Kaliningrad region, where the technology has completely eliminated the formation of snow and ice.

The session also featured presentations by the Director General of the Eurasian SEISMO Association and Technical Director of Lira Soft LLC, Alexei Kolesnikov; Federal Technical Specialist of Technonikol JSC, Alexei Avdeykin; and the Chief State Expert on Intellectual Property of the Department for Mining, Construction and Light Industry at the Federal Institute of Industrial Property, Alexander Lyskov, along with other experts. They discussed modern design calculation methods, intelligent membranes for buildings, and prospects for construction in extreme conditions using textile technologies.