Nouryon PULP AND PERFORMANCE CHEMICALS AB

Their core work

Nouryon (formerly part of AkzoNobel) is a Swedish specialty chemicals company producing pulp and performance chemicals, including cellulose-based materials and nanomaterial-enhanced products. In H2020, they contribute industrial-scale chemical manufacturing expertise to projects focused on nanomaterial safety, advanced materials for conservation, and sustainable cellulose processing. Their role is typically that of an industrial end-user or material supplier, providing real-world application context and testing capacity for research-driven consortia.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015–2017), Nouryon focused on fundamental nanomaterials work — nanoparticles, graphene, nanocellulose, and nanocontainers — contributing their chemical manufacturing know-how to materials development projects like NANORESTART and MULTIMAT. From 2018 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward nanomaterial safety, risk assessment, and regulatory compliance, participating in three consecutive projects (GRACIOUS, SAbyNA, HARMLESS) addressing safe-by-design frameworks and risk reduction. This evolution mirrors the broader industry trend where nanomaterial producers moved from "what can we make?" to "how do we prove it's safe?"

Nouryon is positioning itself as an industrial partner that understands both nanomaterial production AND the regulatory safety frameworks needed to bring nano-enabled products to market responsibly.

How they like to work

Nouryon participates exclusively as a consortium partner, never as coordinator, which is typical for large industrial companies contributing domain expertise and testing facilities rather than driving the research agenda. With 109 unique partners across 22 countries in just 7 projects, they operate in large, multi-partner consortia — likely contributing specific chemical expertise, material samples, or industrial validation rather than leading work packages. Their consistent involvement across multiple nano-safety projects suggests they are a trusted industrial voice in this community.

Nouryon has built a broad European network of 109 partners across 22 countries through 7 projects, indicating participation in large research consortia typical of nanomaterial safety and materials science programs. Their reach is pan-European with no visible geographic concentration.

What sets them apart

Nouryon brings something rare to consortia: the perspective of a large-scale specialty chemicals manufacturer that has walked the full journey from nanomaterial development to regulatory safety compliance. Unlike academic partners, they can validate whether safe-by-design frameworks actually work in industrial production settings. For any project needing an industrial chemicals partner with hands-on nano-safety experience and cellulose/pulp chemistry expertise, Nouryon is a credible and experienced choice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• MULTIMAT
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 263,659) — a Marie Skłodowska-Curie training network on mesostructured porous materials, reflecting investment in next-generation materials talent.
• HARMLESS
  Their most recent project (2021–2025), focused on intelligent testing and safe-by-design for advanced materials — signals their current strategic direction.
• NANORESTART
  Unusual cross-sector application: applying nanomaterials expertise (graphene, nanocellulose) to cultural heritage conservation, demonstrating versatility beyond core chemicals business.