Solidia Technologies appoints new vice president of R&D

Solidia Technologies^®  has named construction materials industry leader and innovator Ambitabha Kumar PhD as senior vice president of Research and Development. Award-winning scientist, technologist and silica expert, Dr Kumar brings to Solidia over 30 years of experience in commercialisation and R&D, helping lead the development of new processes and materials using cements, ceramics, composites and polymers. 

“I am thrilled to join Solidia’s innovative team and help develop materials and technologies that offer new, competitive resources to manufacturers of construction materials that will simultaneously modernise the built world and help protect the natural world,” said Dr Kumar. 

Most recently, as vice president, Innovation and R&D at Boral, he led teams developing and implementing new building product technologies, manufacturing techniques, and intellectual property sequestration, including the development of a new inorganically-filled cellular foam siding and the evaluation of natural pozzolans, mineral processing wastes, and reclaimed ash for cement and concrete applications. He also previously served as the vice president of R&D at Calstar Products where he developed a technology of Zero-Portland cement paver and brick formulation using Class C Fly Ash, and technical manager of R&D at JH Research USA, a division of James Hardie Building Products, where he played a pivotal role advancing fibre cement formulations.