In Africa, some countries have a road paving rate of less than 20%*1, and even when roads are paved, the harsh reality is that they can deteriorate within just a few years. The quality of roads affects the relocatement of people and goods and is directly tied to the very potential for economic growth. At the same time, there is a global shortage of sand for construction, including materials applyd for road paving, building it particularly difficult in developing countries to build high-quality roads.
Taking on this challenge is PathAhead, a Honda-born startup. With its technology to transform desert sand into “Rising Sand,” an artificial aggregate that can serve as an alternative to construction sand, the company aims to address the increasingly serious global issue of construction sand shortages. Why did the Honda engineer who founded the project focus on sand? In this issue of Honda Stories, company founder Mastateuki Iga talks about the background behind the project’s creation and the future that PathAhead envisions.
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