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Progressive Planet Solutions hires new VP of research, development

Progressive Planet Solutions has hired Roger Mah as its vice-president of research and development.

The Vancouver-based company is focused on developing what it calls economic and eco-friendly solutions for the cement and concrete industry.

Mah received his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Calgary specializing in metal-organic framework (MOF) materials for carbon capture applications which included assessing the implementation strengths, weaknesses, and barriers of MOF commercialization. Roger then joined Carbon Management Canada and the Carbon Capture and Conversion Institute as a Mitacs Accelerate Fellow.

For two years, he assessed the innovation ecosystem for carbon capture utilization and storage including sequestration in the built environment with companies such as CarbonCure, Carbicrete, and Solidia. He evaluated gaps and barriers for technology developers taking their technologies from lab/bench towards commercialization and step-gates along the technology readiness level ladder.

Mah was previously the CEO of ZoraMat Solutions where he led efforts in commercializing a MOF for carbon capture and received multiple accolades such as the 2018 Mitacs Change Agent Award, the 2019 GreenSTEM fellowship and a 2020 CleanTech Emerging Leader Award. Roger is the co-inventor of a technology from the University of Calgary that is currently being evaluated for commercialization at LafargeHolcim’s cement plant in Richmond, B.C.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Dr. Roger Mah,” stated Steve Harpur, CEO. “Roger combines a unique blend of entrepreneurialism, scientific prowess, and carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) experience. We are excited to add a full-time, in-house scientist to lead our research efforts. Roger’s addition to the team is intended to accelerate our applied research program in carbon sequestration in supplementary cementing materials (SCMs) and Portland Cement.”

Progressive Planet is developing low carbon, pozzolan-based, cementing products which replace equivalent amounts of Portland Cement and fly ash in concrete. The production of Portland Cement is the second largest global generator of CO2 emissions.