Coatings World - MAY 2017

The challenge will give the winners the chance to see their ideas become a commercial reality. “We will provide access to customers, investors, subject matter experts, mentorship and an accelerator program, along with additional support. The collaboration could take on many forms: a joint development agreement, having AkzoNobel as a launch customer, organizing partnerships, or investing in your startup. Our ultimate goal is to innovate together,” Nieuwenhuizen added.

“Imagine Chemistry is just the lat-
est example of the commitment of
AkzoNobel to fostering innovation, and
also to doing innovation differently,” he
added. It follows a recent decision by
the company to participate in a € 50 mil-
lion collaborative venture capital fund,
run by Icos Capital, that will focus on
investing in early stage chemical and
clean technology innovation start-ups,
as well as plans to establish an Open
Innovation Center at the AkzoNobel
Chemicals Research Facility in Deventer,
the Netherlands.

Axalta Coats London
Skyline with its Alesta
Anodic Collection

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), one of the largest and most influential architecture, interior design, engineering, and urban planning firms in the world, has specified Axalta Coating Systems for its Manhattan Loft Gardens project. The unique structure coated in Axalta Alesta products will be a prominent addition to the famous London skyline, offering a new take on London garden squares by creating an environment suited to neighbourhood life and the development of urban biodiversity.

Kyotec Group, which offers installa-
tion of high-quality curtain walls, is also
renowned for maintaining very close re-
lationships with developers, contractors
and architects. In December of 2014,
Kyotec chose to reach out to Axalta after
their successful partnership on one of the
tallest residential skyscrapers in Poland
and the European Union, Zlota 44.
Kyotec and Axalta worked together to
carefully select samples that would best
fulfil SOM’s unique vision for Manhattan
Loft Gardens.

SOM ultimately chose Anodic Natura from Axalta’s Anodic Collection, a range of powder finishes offering a viable alternative to the anodising look. The collection is designed to give specifiers a flawless aesthetic appearance at a competitive price, with all the technical and environmental benefits of a powder coating. Alesta AP was applied on the internal portion of the façade; on exposed elements, SOM chose Axalta’s super durable powder coating Alesta SD. The products will be delivered to Reynaers Polska, the coater of aluminium profiles for the Manhattan Loft Gardens project.