AkzoNobel’s Imagine Chemistry challenge is now open as an opportunity for startup and scale-up firms and researchers to solve real industry challenges  and create sustainable business opportunities in chemistry. The overall winners will be awarded joint development agreements with AkzoNobel to help bring their ideas to market.

The 2018 edition calls for solutions within the following six areas:

• Sustainable small particle technologies
• Wastewater-free chemical sites
• Intelligent chemical plants
• Revolutionizing chlorate production
• Sustainable powder technologies
• Zero footprint surfactant platforms

Participants can already submit their ideas via a dedicated online community, where they receive feedback and suggestions from experts throughout the submission phase. In June 2018, 20 finalists will be invited to an intensive three-day event at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, where they will work with experts in finance and research to further develop their ideas.