Saint-Gobain and NIMS begin research collaboration

Saint-Gobain, the French global company, and NIMS, the Japanese National Institute for Materials Science, have taken the first step towards what they both intend to be a long-term research collaboration on various aspects of materials science. The first collaboration contract was signed on November 25, 2008 by Prof. Kishi, president of NIMS, and Dr. Roux, R&D Vice-President Saint-Gobain. The project will focus on combinatorial materials.

After numerous visits and contacts over the past few years, including a workshop in Tsukuba in February, NIMS and Saint-Gobain confirmed that they shared many areas of research and would benefit from becoming stronger partners. Therefore, this first collaborative research agreement is considered by both to be the first of many. NIMS and Saint-Gobain see each other as long-term partners and have a common desire to develop a multi-faceted relationship for advanced research in the years to come with a vision to study and develop the materials that will shape the products of the future.

Saint-Gobain is a world leader in materials for the construction markets, headquartered in France, with about 210,000 employees and manufacturing plants in 57 countries (including 8 manufacturing plants and 870 employees in Japan). Its core strategy is to offer innovative solutions to meet the challenges of our era: growth, energy and environment. To fulfill this goal, it has increased its R&D effort in countries around the world to develop high performance and innovative materials and systems. This includes teaming up with the best academic institutions worldwide. In Japan, Saint-Gobain early on identified NIMS as an ideal partner given the breadth and excellence of its scientific activities in materials science.

NIMS is Japan’s sole Independent Administrative Institution (IAI) specializing in materials science. NIMS is charged with the task of comprehensive management of basic research and development of materials science and to advance the level of expertise in the field. To do this, NIMS also reaches out to other research centers in Japan and around the world. The agreement with Saint-Gobain marks the second such agreement between NIMS and a company outside of Japan.