 A high potential market
In 2005, total sales of nanomaterials were estimated at 17.6 billion euros. It’s expected to rise to 26.9 billion euros in 2010. According to a study conducted by the French government’s Department of Enterprises (DGE)1, the average annual sales growth rate for nanomaterials is 9.3%.
“The estimated increase in marketed products is especially significant,” says Denis Bortzmeyer, Arkema’s Partnerships Director. “It illustrates the immense potential of an industrial sector discovering new uses for its products everyday.”
 Nanomanufactured materials, unparalleled on the market
Nanomaterials have uses in nearly every industrial field: aeronautics, cosmetics, electronics, automotives, medicine, and pharmaceuticals.
On today’s market, traditional chemistry and metallurgy can offer no equivalent to nanomaterials. Thanks to their exceptional characteristics, nanomaterials often provide better substitutes for existing products. If integrated into the manufacture of automotive and aeronautic parts, nanostructured copolymers could provide an attractive advantage: noticeably reducing the weight of vehicles and thus reducing fuel consumption. A publicly funded innovation race In R&D, competition brings about innovation. Nanomaterials represent a rapidly growing, strategic field with considerable economic potential. Many university and industrial laboratories are therefore leading large studies and  forming strategic partnerships.
The stakes are such that public funding is available for nanomaterials research in many countries.
As is the case in France, where many of the industry’s major corporations are based, including Arkema, the country’s nanomaterials leader, whose expertise is internationally recognized due to its registration of several important patents.
The only European manufacturer of operational controlled architecture copolymers, Arkema is a lead developer of the European nanomaterials field. Arkema is involved in two major programs designed to assist innovating businesses that plan to use nanostructured materials in future projects: Genesis, a program more specifically geared towards the automotive, cable, energy, environmental protection, and information and communication technologies industries, and Canoe (Aquitaine Consortium for Nanomaterial and Organic Electronic Innovation), begun in December of 2008 in partnership with the Aquitaine region of France.
¹ The French Department of Enterprises (Département générale des entreprises, or DGE) merged in January 2009 into the Department of Competition, Industry and Services (Direction générale de la compétitivité, de l'industrie et des services, or DGCIS), itself a department within the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Employment (Ministère de l'Économie, de l'Industrie et de l'Emploi). |
Energy - Environment: development of renewable energies, photovoltaics, batteries, etc.
In June 2008, the European Commission gave the green light to the Genesis program. The goal: to put in place a technological network focused on 
