Saint-Gobain and NIMS expand research collaboration

2009.09.30


National Institute for Materials Science
Saint-Gobain K.K.

Saint-Gobain, the French global company, and NIMS, the Japanese National Institute for Materials Science, have decided to expand their research collaboration which began with their first joint research agreement in November of 2008. On October 2, 2009, Mr. Pierre-Andre de Chalendar, President of the French giant, will come to meet with NIMS’ President, Dr. Ushioda, to sign a Memorandum to Understanding which will confirm their intent to establish the “NIMS-Saint-Gobain Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials”.

Abstract

Saint-Gobain, the French global company, and NIMS, the Japanese National Institute for Materials Science, have decided to expand their research collaboration which began with their first joint research agreement in November of 2008. On October 2, 2009, Mr. Pierre-Andre de Chalendar, President of the French giant, will come to meet with NIMS’ President, Dr. Ushioda, to sign a Memorandum to Understanding which will confirm their intent to establish the “NIMS-Saint-Gobain Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials”. NIMS and Saint-Gobain take this next step based on the progress being made on their first joint research project in the field of combinatorial materials.

On the same day, NIMS and Saint-Gobain will sign their second joint research agreement. Within this new project, Saint-Gobain and NIMS will join forces in the field of thin oxide films. Such technology will contribute to products that increase the energy efficiency of buildings through improved glazings.
The new Center will manage these first two research projects and will explore future mutual research projects. These new projects will target material technologies for more comfortable and energy efficient homes and buildings. It will also coordinate joint seminars, workshops and research exchanges between Japan and France.

Saint-Gobain intends to invest money and people into NIMS’ research activities in order to expand upon its existing industrial and commercial base in Japan, and strengthen its R&D effort worldwide. Through its partnership with NIMS, Saint-Gobain plans to develop materials and systems that will contribute to its leadership as a provider of innovative solutions in the key areas of growth, energy and environment.
This alliance also advances NIMS goal to build strategic links to global companies and research centers. Its ties to Saint-Gobain R&D Centers around the world will promote an influx of information, contacts and scientific exchanges for a number of NIMS’ material centers and research departments. The NIMS-Saint-Gobain Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials is the third such Center for Excellence to be established in partnership with NIMS, and follows the Rolls-Royce Center of Excellence of Aerospace Materials and the NIMS-Toyota Materials Center of Excellence for Sustainable Mobility.

Saint-Gobain is a world leader in materials for the construction markets, headquartered in France, with over 210,000 employees and manufacturing plants in 62 countries (including 8 manufacturing plants and 600 employees in Japan). It has found a tremendous collaboration partner in NIMS to advance its scientific activities in Japan. In 2008, Saint-Gobain had sales of 43.8 Billion Euro . How this compares to Japanese companies in similar industries is shown in the following chart.



Inquiry about this page

For more details

Collaboration-Promotion Office
National Institute for Materials Science
TEL:+81-29-859-2600
FAX:+81-29-859-2500
Collaboration-Promotion Office
Saint-Gobain K.K.
Brian Minahan (Inquiries in Japanese welcome)
TEL:+81-3-6893-0052
FAX:+81-3-5275-0869

For general inquiry

NIMS Public Relations Office
1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, JAPAN 305-0047
TEL:+81-29-859-2026
FAX:+81-29-859-2017
Corporate Communications Division
Saint-Gobain K.K.
3-7 Kojimachi Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
PR Dept.
TEL:+81-3-5275-0861
FAX:+81-3-5275-0869