The French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) has announced the winners of its 2024 Innovation Medal, recognizing outstanding scientists who have successfully transferred their research to the marketplace. This year’s recipients are Cyril Aymonier, Lydéric Bocquet, and Eleni Diamanti, all renowned researchers in their respective fields. Aymonier, a chemist, has developed sustainable approaches to create new materials using supercritical fluids, leading to collaborations with companies like Safran and Airbus. Bocquet, a physicist, is a pioneer in nanofluidics, creating devices with innovative properties, such as membranes for desalinating seawater and producing renewable energy.
Diamanti, a specialist in quantum technologies, is designing communication networks using photons, laying the foundations for a quantum Internet that will be more robust against attacks. Their work has led to numerous patents, start-ups, and collaborations with major companies like Renault, Saint-Gobain, and Deutsche Telekom.
Innovation in Science: The 2024 CNRS Innovation Medal Winners
The 2024 CNRS Innovation Medal has been awarded to three outstanding scientists: Cyril Aymonier, Lydéric Bocquet, and Eleni Diamanti. This prestigious award recognizes researchers who have made significant contributions to their field, leading to remarkable technological, economic, therapeutic, or social innovations.
Excellence in Research and Technology Transfer
The careers of the three winners exemplify the excellence and diversity of research conducted at the CNRS, as well as the multiple avenues available for technology transfer. According to Jean-Luc Moullet, the CNRS Chief Innovation Officer, “These three brilliant researchers and seasoned inventors have distinguished themselves through the excellence of their scientific careers and the successful transfer of the results of their research to the socio-economic world.” Their commitment and efforts serve as an inspiration to their peers, demonstrating the importance of transferring research results to the marketplace.
Cyril Aymonier: Sustainable Development through Supercritical Fluids
Cyril Aymonier, a CNRS Senior Researcher, has dedicated his career to developing sustainable approaches for synthesizing and recycling materials. His work focuses on creating new materials and recycled raw materials within “supercritical” environments, where solvents exhibit behavior between a gas and a liquid. This research has led to nearly fifty patents, resulting in collaborations with prominent enterprises such as Safran, Arkema, Imerys, Saint-Gobain, Umicore, Renault, Airbus, Essilor, Merck, and Schneider Electric. The applications of Aymonier’s work range from artificial mineral synthesis to recycling photovoltaic cells, food packaging, and end-of-life thermoplastics. He is also the founder of IDELAM, a start-up that utilizes a unique delamination technology to recycle complex multicomponent materials.
Aymonier’s research has far-reaching implications for sustainable development, offering innovative solutions for various industries. His work on supercritical fluids has opened up new avenues for material synthesis and recycling, contributing significantly to the reduction of waste and environmental pollution. The applications of his research are diverse, ranging from energy storage to biomedical devices, highlighting the potential impact of his work on various sectors.
Lydéric Bocquet: Nanofluidics and its Thousand Potential Applications
Lydéric Bocquet, a CNRS Senior Researcher and pioneer in nanofluidics, has made groundbreaking contributions to the field. His research focuses on creating devices with innovative properties, particularly membranes, at the intersection of fluid mechanics and molecular and quantum physics. This work has led to twelve patents and the founding of four start-ups: Sweetch Energy, Hummink, Altr, and Ilion. These companies offer solutions for diverse applications such as nanometric printing, removing alcohol from beverages, desalinating seawater at lower cost, and producing renewable energy.
Bocquet’s research has significant implications for various industries, including energy, water treatment, and biotechnology. His work on nanofluidics has opened up new avenues for the development of innovative devices and technologies, offering potential solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. As a scientific consultant for French industrial groups such as Saint-Gobain and Plastic Omnium, Bocquet continues to develop his research in other areas, including quantum engineering of nanofluid flows and designing ionic nanomachines that reproduce certain biological functions.
Eleni Diamanti: Revolutionizing Quantum Communications
Eleni Diamanti, a specialist in quantum technologies and CNRS Senior Researcher, is dedicated to developing communication networks using photons as information transmitters. Her work lays the foundations for a quantum Internet that will be more robust against attacks, enabling critical information to be transmitted securely. Diamanti successfully brought this research out of the laboratory by co-founding Welinq, a start-up that develops quantum memories, especially atom clouds that trap and relay the information carried by photons.
Diamanti’s research has significant implications for secure communication and data transmission. Her work on quantum communications has opened up new avenues for the development of innovative technologies, offering potential solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges in cybersecurity. As the Director of the Paris Centre for Quantum Technologies, a consortium for the future application of quantum technologies, Diamanti is highly involved in the French and European quantum computing ecosystem. Her recognized expertise has led to collaborations with prominent companies such as Airbus, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Thales, Onera, and the ESA.
The 2024 CNRS Innovation Medal winners exemplify the importance of interdisciplinary research and collaboration between academia and industry. Their work has significant implications for various sectors, offering innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. As leaders in their respective fields, Aymonier, Bocquet, and Diamanti continue to inspire future generations of scientists and engineers, driving progress and innovation forward.
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