Arkema is delighted that for its third edition, the Arkema - Académie des sciences Grand Prize has been awarded to Markus Antonietti, Professor at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interface Science in Potsdam (Germany) who is world-renowned for his work on architectured materials.
Presented by the French Académie des sciences and funded by Arkema in the sum of €25,000, this prize is intended to reward research work of the highest level that contributes to innovative chemistry, paving the way for solutions for sustainable and responsible development.
Markus Antonietti's work covers an extensive range of fields, in both organic and inorganic chemistry, their common ground being the organization of matter at a nanometric scale and its applications. These can be original carbon structures imparting new catalytic properties, micro-emulsions, or self-organizing polymers that can generate unexpected impact resistance or self-healing properties. Professor Antonietti has authored over 650 research papers.
Arkema develops materials, adhesives and coatings that provide its customers with unrivalled performance while systematically taking account of sustainable development criteria. Lighter-weight materials, repairability and recyclability are indeed at the core of the Group's research: over 90% of the patents filed each year by its 1,800 researchers serve at least one United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).
Furthermore, this innovation approach is highly open, based on regular interactions with the world of academia as well as the innovative ecosystem of start-ups. The award of the Arkema - Académie des sciences Prize to Markus Antonietti is a perfect illustration of this commitment to openness to the academic world.