3C Grand Est: the nuclear heart of the Hemp European Hub project
The Collectif Construction Chanvre Grand Est was set up in 2013 on the initiative of key players in hemp construction in the Champagne Ardenne region. Today, it covers the whole of the Grand Est region. He is leading the Hemp European Hub project, at the head of a consortium of 15 partners.
A local environment conducive to innovation
The Collectif is building on a favourable environment for the development of bio-based materials for construction in the Grand Est region. Our region is a breeding ground for innovation. It was in Aube that the first hemp concrete house was built in the late 1980s. A large number of projects are listed on the collective’s website.
Today, many R&D players in the Grand Est region are working to characterise and improve the technical properties of hemp in construction materials.
The presence of Europe’s largest cane-mill – La Chanvrière – a dynamic industrial fabric and the support of local authorities (Département de l’Aube, Greater Troyenne, Région Grand Est) reinforce this favourable ecosystem.
Better training and information for all players in the ecosystem
Collectif 3 C Grand Est aims to meet the information and training needs of the entire building value chain (project owners, project managers, craftsmen, etc.). To achieve this, the aim is to create a network of synergies and skills to boost the use of hemp-based materials in construction markets throughout the Grand Est region, via 5 main areas of work:
- Informing and raising awareness among building owners and professionals,
- Qualify companies to use hemp materials,
- Involving local authorities: using and prescribing hemp materials,
- Structuring and federating the development of a local hemp construction industry that generates wealth and creates jobs,
- Promoting exemplary projects and capitalising on data and experience.
The future: the Hemp European Hub
Since 2017, Collectif 3 C Grand Est has broadened its scope to include all outlets for hemp, and is working with a number of local partners on the Hemp European Hub project, which aims to structure the entire local ecosystem to make it the European benchmark for hemp.
