Nouryon announces 2019 Imagine Chemistry finalists

Nouryon has announced the 13 finalists for the 2019 edition of its Imagine Chemistry collaborative innovation challenge.

Imagine Chemistry was launched to tackle chemistry-related challenges and uncover new ways to create value for customers, and the 2019 edition generated more than 160 innovative ideas from start-ups, scale-ups, university spin-outs, and other potential partners.

The finalists will participate in an intensive three-day event in May at the company’s RD&I centre in the Netherlands, where they will work with Nouryon experts and business leaders to further develop their ideas into a joint value case.

Winners are granted awards ranging from joint development and research agreements to dedicated support from Imagine Chemistry partners.

Unilever, a key customer of Nouryon and a partner in the ‘Sustainable bio-based surfactants’ challenge, offers the opportunity for winners to collaborate with its R&D teams and test facilities to move their ideas to the next phase of development.

AB Ghosh, Managing Director Surface Chemistry at Nouryon, said: “Imagine Chemistry is part of our focus on partnerships to drive growth and help us develop the essential solutions our customers need.”

“I’m impressed by the quality of submissions and the ideas of this year’s finalists are highly interesting. I’m looking forward to see who we’ll be working with to help drive sustainable growth in the future.”