Turning Ash into Opportunity
Ecosystem conditions for Geopolymer adoption in Chile’s Construction Sector
M.A. Cabezón Otero (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
J.W.F. Wamelink – Mentor (TU Delft - Design & Construction Management)
K.B.J. Van den Berghe – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
C. Cottineau – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
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Abstract
In Chile, coal- and biomass-based energy production produce significant volumes of fly ash of which a substantial proportion is currently disposed of in landfills. This constitutes not only a waste management issue, but a missed opportunity for circularity resource valorization.
Fly ash-based geopolymers offer a promising pathway for transforming this underutilized industrial residue into a low-carbon construction material. However, existing research remains focused mainly on technical performance, leaving limited understanding of the ecosystem conditions that shape adoption.
This research examines the ecosystem conditions and interactions that shape the feasibility of adopting fly ash-based geopolymers as a construction material in Chile. The study applies Adner’s innovation ecosystem framework through a qualitative exploratory research design, combining literature review, document analysis, and semi-structured interviews. The analysis maps the focal value proposition, relevant actors, activities, flows, and positions, and identifies the main bottlenecks and gatekeepers within the ecosystem structure.
Chile presents enabling conditions such as fly ash availability, research capabilities, circular economy policies, decarbonization goals, and corporate sustainability agendas. However, adoption is constrained by precursor variability, alkaline activator cost and carbon intensity, and, most importantly, strict prescriptive regulation and stringent validation processes, which constitute the main upstream bottleneck. Downstream, project developers act as key gatekeepers, as they bear the economic and project-related risks associated with material adoption but lack concrete incentives to assume them.
The feasibility of adopting fly ash-based geopolymers depends on the coordinated alignment of technological capabilities, regulatory pathways, industrial actors, market incentives, and public policy, rather than on material optimization alone.