Smart building material helps shape cities

China and Bahrain work together to develop the “International Smart Building Center”

For any country, shelter is a crucial consideration. One approach to provide housing facilities to a maximum number of people is to develop “smart” housing projects that ensure basic living requirements, at competitive prices. At the same time, the projects have to be cost- and time-efficient while also being environmentally friendly. Therefore, to attain these objectives, the latest advancements in technology, especially regarding power consumption and the use of environmentally friendly building material, have to be taken into account.

Against this background, UNIDO has fostered a strategic partnership between China - a world leader in smart low-income housing, with a proven track record in innovative building material - and Bahrain to develop the International Smart Building Center in Manama. The Center will present the latest in Chinese technologies, products and services to public and private institutions around the world. At the same time, the center will disseminate knowledge on smart buildings, also through capacity building on the latest techniques and technologies. This close cooperation between China and Bahrain paves the way for the development of additional joint investment and technology transfer initiatives. The first result of this center is the development of 5,000 housing units in Bahrain worth a total investment of US$ 250 million.

In the future, there is much hope that the Center will expand its outreach to many more countries in need of smart solutions, so that one day, every city can enjoy the benefits of the latest technologies, thus allowing for "better cities, better lives".

For more information, please contact the UNIDO China Office.  

or UNIDO Asia Programme

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