Operations, and Procurement
organizations selected the recipients based on four key
criteria: quality, service, technology and price. In accordance with
Axalta’s own focus on customer service, accountability and innovation,
eligibility will also be dependent on the
supplier’s ability to exhibit consistent
product availability and commitment
to continuous improvement in performance and service.
AkzoNobel Launches
Global Chemicals Start-up
Challenge
AkzoNobel is launching Imagine
Chemistry, an opportunity to partner
with start-up firms, students, research
groups and career scientists from across
the world to jointly exploit the knowledge of chemistry and solve several real-life chemistry-related challenges.
The challenge is part of an integrated
approach to further deploy AkzoNobel’s
innovation capability in support of its
growth ambitions. The company believes
there is tremendous potential even in ma-
ture chemistries, and the challenge aims
to tap into that as well as uncover new
opportunities.
Imagine Chemistry, launched in conjunction with KPMG, aims to address a
number of specific societal challenges as
well as finding new sustainable opportunities for AkzoNobel businesses.
“Our world is made of molecules
and we believe that chemistry, mastering the elements, is essential to making the world a better place,” explained
Peter Nieuwenhuizen, RD&I director
for AkzoNobel’s Specialty Chemicals
business.
“To get there, we believe open inno-
vation will be vital, seeking ideas both
internally and externally to advance our
technology and mutually gain from cre-
ative thinking. Imagine. with all of our
knowledge of chemistry, we can work
together to solve some of life’s biggest
problems. It’s a great opportunity for ev-
eryone to get involved.”
Imagine Chemistry focuses on finding
solutions within the following five areas:
• Revolutionizing plastics recycling
• Wastewater-free chemical sites
•Cellulose-based alternatives to
synthetics
• Bio-based and biodegradable surfac-
tants and thickeners
• Bio-based sources of ethylene
In addition, there are “open challeng-
es” for broad ideas in two further areas:
Highly reactive chemistry and technology
and Sustainable alternatives to current
technologies. All challenges are business-
driven and should go commercial in a 3-5
year time horizon.
A dedicated online challenge platform
has been launched, operated by KPMG,
where participants can submit their
ideas and solutions. Anyone who registers will get feedback from AkzoNobel
chemicals experts.
