Lafarge appoints new director of R&D

Carlos Espina has been appointed as director of research and revelopment of the 725 Lafarge Group, with effect from October 1, 2012.

Espina was formerly chief executive officer, 3646 ArcelorMittal Méditerranée, a position he had held since July 2009.

He began his career in the United Kingdom as a researcher at 2935 AEA Technology. In 1995 he joined the R&D Centre of Aceralia Corporación Siderúrgica as manager of the Product Applications Engineering Department, before becoming vice president of intellectual property, knowledge management and artificial intelligence upon the merger with Arcelor in 2002. Within the Arcelor Mittal Group, he successively held the positions of vice-president in charge of R&D, Europe, and vice-president in charge of R&D, automotive.

Carlos Espina will be based at Lafarge's Research Centre near Lyons, France, which is one of the world's leading construction materials research laboratory with more than 250 researchers of 12 different nationalities.

He has a degree from Oviedo College of Mines, Spain.