AXEL'ONE

Their core work

AXEL'ONE is a French collaborative innovation platform for chemistry and environment, based in Solaize near Lyon's chemical valley. They specialize in catalysis research, advanced materials synthesis (particularly metal-organic frameworks), and chemical process intensification. Their work bridges laboratory-scale catalyst development and industrial reactor design, with a strong focus on converting hydrocarbons into higher-value chemical products through cleaner catalytic processes.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

AXEL'ONE's early H2020 work (2015-2017) centered on fundamental materials science — structured nanoporous materials for adsorption (ProDIA) and solid catalysts for bond activation (H-CCAT). By 2019, their focus shifted toward applied industrial chemistry with the C123 project, combining catalysis with reactor engineering to convert methane into propylene. This progression shows a clear move from materials development toward integrated chemical process solutions with direct industrial relevance.

AXEL'ONE is moving from fundamental catalyst research toward applied gas-to-chemicals conversion processes, suggesting future work in green chemistry and feedstock transformation at pilot scale.

How they like to work

AXEL'ONE consistently participates as a partner rather than leading projects, which is typical for an innovation platform that provides infrastructure, testing capabilities, and applied chemistry expertise to larger consortia. With 30 unique partners across just 3 projects, they work in medium-to-large consortia (averaging 10+ partners per project) and appear to build broad networks rather than returning to the same collaborators. This makes them an accessible partner — experienced in multi-party EU projects but not locked into exclusive networks.

AXEL'ONE has collaborated with 30 distinct partners across 9 countries in just 3 projects, indicating they consistently join broad European consortia. Their geographic reach spans multiple EU member states, with likely strong ties to France's chemical industry corridor around Lyon.

What sets them apart

AXEL'ONE occupies a distinctive niche as a collaborative chemistry innovation platform — not a university, not a company, but an intermediary that provides pilot-scale facilities and applied research capabilities to both. Located in France's premier chemical industry cluster near Lyon, they offer consortium partners access to real-world testing infrastructure for catalytic processes. For anyone developing new catalysts or chemical processes who needs a path from lab to industrial scale, AXEL'ONE bridges that gap.

Highlights from their portfolio

• C123
  Their largest-funded and most recent project, combining methane conversion, hydroformylation, and modular reactor design — a full value chain from feedstock to product.
• ProDIA
  Focused on scaling production of nanoporous materials (MOFs) for industrial adsorption applications, directly addressing the manufacturing gap between lab synthesis and industrial use.