A The Light Rebar Company, the Guimarães-based company partially owned by Grupo Versa, has developed an innovative composite rebar that constitutes an alternative to steel for civil construction. More sustainable, lighter, and resistant to corrosion, the material was designed to increase the durability of infrastructures and contribute to a construction that is more efficient and with a lower environmental impact, according to a press release.
According to the same source, with a sustained growth plan, The Light Rebar Company foresees investing around 10 million euros in the next five years to reinforce production capacity, accelerate technological development, and consolidate its presence in Portugal and international markets.
This product is already being used in hundreds of projects and applications across different segments of civil construction, including precast, pools, urban furniture, rehabilitation works, and construction in general, highlighting the versatility and technological maturity of a solution developed in Portugal with international ambition.
Produced from glass fiber reinforced polymers (GFRP), The Light Rebar Company’s composite rebar stands out for its differentiating technical characteristics compared to steel, namely high durability, resistance to corrosion, reduced weight, and stability of performance over time. These characteristics allow increasing the resilience of infrastructures, reducing maintenance needs, and contributing to more efficient and sustainable construction.
“Similar to various industrial sectors, the future of construction will inevitably involve the adoption of more durable, efficient, and sustainable materials. The composite rebar developed by The Light Rebar Company results from years of research and innovation and represents a concrete response to the challenges the sector faces, enabling greater durability of infrastructures, reducing costs over the lifecycle of works, and improving the efficiency of construction processes. The fact that this solution is already being used in multiple projects demonstrates the maturity of the technology and the market’s confidence in our value proposition,” says Jorge Fontes, General Director of The Light Rebar Company.
For his part, Daniel Carvalho, President of Grupo Versa, highlights that “innovation only creates real value when it addresses concrete societal challenges. The Light Rebar Company is an example of that vision: a company that transforms scientific knowledge developed in Portugal into a solution with high market potential and impact on the sustainability of a sector as strategic as civil construction. It is this type of projects, capable of combining innovation, competitiveness and international ambition, that we want to continue to support.”
Born from the research developed at the University of Minho and subsequently industrialized by The Light Rebar Company, the technology today asserts itself as an example of Portugal’s ability to transform scientific knowledge into innovative solutions with practical application and international potential.
