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Axelera
"To switch from chemicals manufacture that seeks to mitigate its impacts to avant-garde manufacturing techniques that integrate environmental concerns from the start of design".
This is the objective set by the initiators of Axelera, all actively involved in the chemical industry, training, research or the environment in Rhône-Alpes, who have joined forces to set up a competitivity centre with a common vision.
Context
The Rhône-Alpes chemical manufacturing sector is the largest in France and provides the second largest number of jobs in this sector in the country. Rhône-Alpes also has France’s second largest workforce in the environment sector, which ranks second in the region’s industrial sectors in terms of turnover and third in terms of direct jobs in industry. Chemicals and the environment account for 5% of all regional industrial investment, generating €12.3bn in revenue and encompassing more than 1,900 establishments:- 48,000 direct jobs and twice as many indirect jobs
- approximately 470 patents filed annually
- over 1,300 publications a year
- over 3,000 researchers
- 1,300 chemical engineering degrees and 1,350 doctorates awarded in chemistry annually.
Ambition
Over the next 10 to 15 years Axelera aims to move from being a curative chemical industry to a state-of-the art industry integrating eco-design techniques, completely rethinking its processes, products and reagents with a view to significantly improving environmental performance.Projects
Development of twelve technology projects, which include environmental progress indicators and focus on catalysis, processes and materials. These projects include:
- Water treatment, primarily designed to treat then reduce sludge from processing plants to limit its environmental impact.
- Eco-design of materials, to develop lighter materials for transport, with the advantages of easier recycling and energy savings.
- Bio-resources, to use these renewable raw materials to replace oil-based resources as building blocks in chemistry.
In addition to the technology projects, five horizontal projects
focussing mainly on social responsibility and training will help
complete the strategic development of the centre.
Players
- Firms: Aedia Conseil, Alcan, Alsthrom, Antea, Arkema, Ciba spécialité, Coatex, Elyo, Eurecat, Ezus-Lyon 1, GRS Valtech, ITW Bailly-Comte, La Celliose, Lab SA, MSSA, Michelin, Ondeo industrial solutions, Rhodia, Schneider electric, Serpol, Sita remediation, SNF Floerger, Solvionic, Suez, Tauw environnement, Total, Trédi, Veolia environnement, Zodiac, etc.
- Research centres and laboratories: Cemagref, CNRS, CPE, Centre technique du papier, CIRSEE-Suez, CSTB, Cylergie, Division polden, Ecole centrale de Lyon, ENS Lyon, Esigec Chambéry, Grenoble-INP, IFP-Lyon, Ineris, INSA, Insavalor, Interfora performances, Institut des sciences analytiques, LAEPSI, Service central d'analyse, Université Claude Bernard Lyon-1, Université Joseph Fourier, etc.
- Public bodies: APPEL, Aderly, Comité de développement scientifique et technologique de la Doua, Envirhônalp, Erai, Greater Lyon Urban Council, Grenoble Urban Area Council (Métro), UIC Rhône-Alpes, etc.
Axelera board:
- Chair - Pascal Barthélémy (Rhodia)
- Vice-chair - Denis Bortzmeyer (Arkema)
- Secretary - Bruno Allenet (Suez)
- Assistant-secretary - Bruno Andral (CNRS)
- Treasurer - Pierre-Henri Bigeard (IFP)
Your AEPI contact: Nicolas Béroud
More info: www.axelera.org