MOSCOW (MRC) -- Solvay and the CNRS (France’s National Centre for Scientific Research) have renewed their framework agreement for five years, emphasizing the strong ties between science, research and innovation and their strategic partnership of the past 40 years, said Solvay in its press release.
Patrick Maestro, Scientific Director of Solvay, and Nicolas Castoldi, Chief Technology Transfer Officer and General Counsel of CNRS, signed the agreement which structures the scientific partnership between the two organizations. It includes conducting innovative research ranging from basic science to market applications to develop, for example, eco-efficient products and processes, formulations for home & personal care, polymer materials for lightweighting in transport or methods and tools that speed up research.
"Our partnership with CNRS reaffirms Solvay’s deep historical link to science and research. It brings together researchers with diverse profiles and drives creativity, resulting in innovative applications as well as in valuable and sustainable solutions for our customers," said Patrick Maestro, Scientific Director of Solvay.
"CNRS and Solvay open a new chapter in their 40 years of exemplary partnership. The new agreement illustrates how public research together with multinationals like Solvay, dedicated to innovation, can build a relationship of trust which takes research to the highest international levels and creates products and efficient processes addressing challenging market demands. Economic competitiveness is enhanced by excellence in science and CNRS and Solvay’s shared successes are testimony of this," said Nicolas Castoldi, Chief Technology Transfer Officer and General Counsel of CNRS.
Since 2006, the collaboration between CNRS researchers, academics and Solvay teams has resulted in more than 110 patents, 450 contracts and nearly 280 shared scientific publications. It has moreover led to the creation of four shared research centres across three continents: the Laboratory of the Future (Bordeaux, France) and the Polymers and Advanced Materials Laboratory (Lyon, France), the Eco-efficient Products and Processes Laboratory (Shanghai, China) and the Complex Assemblies of Soft Matter Laboratory (Bristol, Pennsylvania, United States).
As MRC informed previously, in early July 2016, Solvay completed the divestment of its shareholding in Inovyn (London), bringing to an end Solvay's chlorvinyls joint venture with Ineos. Solvay received exit cash proceeds amounting to EUR335 million (USD370.7 million). The dissolution of the jv follows regulatory clearances from the relevant authorities. Inovyn was formed on 1 July 2015 as a jv between Ineos and SolVin, a subsidiary of Solvay. Solvay and Ineos signaled their decision to end their chlorvinyls jv in March this year.
Solvay, with a market share 27%, is the second largest PVC manufacturer in Europe, after Kerling with 29% of the market. Solvay is headquartered in Brussels with about 30,900 employees spread across 53 countries. It generated pro forma net sales of EUR12.4 bn in 2015, with 90% made from activities where it ranks among the world’s top 3 players.
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