The European Commission today has given its green light for the funding by OSEO¹ , amounting to € 46 M out of a total cost of € 107 M, of the Genesis program, coordinated by Arkema, which is opening the way for the development in Europe of an innovative and competitive sector in nanostructured materials.

The Genesis program pools around Arkema, a leader in nanostructured materials and the sole producer in Europe of functional copolymers with controlled architecture, major industrial groups, SMEs, and several university laboratories within a partnership bringing directly together the design of materials and their applications in a number of markets earmarked for their technological innovation potential: automotive, cable, structural composites, energy, environment, as well as information and communication technologies.

With its essential contribution to the Genesis program, Arkema stands out as the foremost supplier of innovative nanostructured materials whose outstanding performances – mechanical strength, thermal and electrical properties, light weight – are poised to lead to technological breakthroughs in many sectors of industry.

" Arkema, France’s leading chemicals producer, now fully controls on a laboratory scale the mechanisms governing the synthesis of carbon nanotubes and copolymers with controlled architecture. The Genesis program will allow us to speed up the industrial development of nanostructured materials in direct cooperation with the relevant user sectors. We could witness the first commercial applications by 2009 / 2010 ", Christian Collette, Arkema Research & Development Vice President, is delighted to announce.

In keeping with Arkema’s sustainable development policy, the Genesis program favors the operation of clean processes, the use of renewable raw materials, and the inclusion of recycling considerations for end-of-life materials. It also devotes a major part to the toxicological and ecotoxicological properties of nanomaterials.

A global chemical company and France’s leading chemicals producer, Arkema consists of three strategically related businesses: Vinyl Products, Industrial Chemicals, and Performance Products. Arkema reported sales of 5.7 billion euros. Arkema has 15,200 employees in over 40 countries and six research centers located in France, the United States and Japan. With internationally recognized brands, Arkema holds leadership positions in its principal markets.

¹ French public body which provides funding and assistance for industrial innovation