Milestones from 2020 and onwards

Name: Vandersanden
Address: 16 Stocks Bridge Way, Compass Point Business Park, St Ives, Cambridgeshire, PE27 5JL, UK
Telephone: +44 (0)1954268075

From 2020 and onwards, Vandersanden continues to lead through innovation and sustainability. These milestones illustrate bold breakthroughs, from Robobrick® automation to carbon-negative bricks, demonstrating how technology, collaboration, and environmental responsibility are shaping the future of building.

100 years of Vandersanden

In a sector facing rising demand, labour shortages, and tighter environmental standards, Vandersanden once again looked forward — and created Robobrick®: a fully integrated automation solution for industrial façade construction.

Robobrick® is more than a robot. It’s an integrated value system that combines advanced production automation, customised software, and hands-on expertise to bring efficiency, precision, and sustainability to the construction industry. Designed in close collaboration with customers and partners, Robobrick® automatically applies brick slips to various surfaces — from timber frames and steel structures to concrete and insulation — with industrial speed and unrivalled accuracy.

But its impact goes beyond technical performance. Robobrick® reduces raw material and energy use by up to 60%, shortens production lead times, and ensures consistent quality - all while supporting the transition toward off-site construction and more sustainable building practices. With brick design software, a tailor-made two-component adhesive, tracing and monitoring system, and expert guidance from business planning to post-installation support, Robobrick® offers a seamless end-to-end solution.

Adopted by a growing number of leading partners, Robobrick® is reshaping how façades are built — not only by automating production but by redefining the value chain itself.

At Vandersanden, innovation isn’t about replacing people - it’s about empowering them. Robobrick® helps meet modern construction challenges without compromising on aesthetics, quality, or craftsmanship.

Because for Vandersanden, the future of building is collaborative, efficient, and built to last.

At Vandersanden, sustainability is a shared responsibility. With Together to Zero, we’re taking collective action to become fully climate-neutral by 2050.

This is not a distant ambition, but a tangible, measurable roadmap built on four pillars: energy efficiency, energy transition, product transition, and carbon capture and storage.

Across all our factories, dedicated energy action teams are working daily to optimise operations. From upgrading our kilns to recovering residual heat and implementing heat pumps, we’ve already achieved a substantial reduction in CO₂ emissions.

We’re also transitioning to renewable energy, using 40,000 solar panels, cogeneration systems, and wind power to run our operations.

But it doesn’t stop at how we work — it’s also what we make. We’re designing narrow bricks, developing climate-adaptive paving, and creating circular, carbon-negative products like Pirrouet®, made with mineral waste and hardened through carbonation to permanently store CO₂.

Together with our partners, clients, and colleagues, we are laying the groundwork for a better world step by step, brick by brick. Because Together to Zero is more than a promise. It’s a movement. A shared mission to ensure that the buildings of tomorrow are not only beautiful, but truly sustainable.

As part of our Together to Zero commitment, we proudly introduced Pirrouet® - a revolutionary step toward a more sustainable and responsible future. Pirrouet® represents more than just a product innovation; it embodies a bold, forward-looking approach to environmental progress. With it, we unveiled the world’s first CO₂-negative brick, a groundbreaking achievement that marks a significant milestone in our mission to build a better world for future generations.

Creating Pirrouet® was no small feat. It required unwavering dedication to innovation, sustained investment in cutting-edge technologies, and a relentless drive to rethink traditional manufacturing processes. Every stage of development was guided by our core belief that sustainability and progress can, and must, go hand in hand.

The name Pirrouet® pays tribute to our former CEO, Jean-Pierre Wuytack (Pirre), whose leadership and legacy continue to inspire us. By carrying his name, we not only honour the past but also reinforce our belief that respecting our heritage is an essential part of building a better future—and Pirrouet® stands as a testament to that philosophy.

The name Pirrouet® pays tribute to our former CEO, Jean-Pierre Wuytack (Pirre), whose leadership and legacy continue to inspire us.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Pirrouet® is a full-circle concept. Just like the graceful, circular motion of a ballerina performing a pirouette, Pirrouet® reflects circularity, sustainability, and balance. It is where past, present, innovation, and environmental responsibility converge - a living example of our ongoing promise to future generations.

This vision is the fire that we hand over to - and for - the next generations. It’s a multi-generational effort that carries the values of the past within the vision of a better future. It is, ultimately, our promise for the future.

From a modest family brickworks to one of Europe’s leading manufacturers, Vandersanden’s early milestones showcase the vision, craftsmanship, and leadership that built a lasting legacy.