Chemistry for the Future Solvay Prize winner Ben Feringa among the winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2016

Chemistry for the Future Solvay Prize winner Ben Feringa among the winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2016

BRUSSELS, 10-Oct-2016 — /EuropaWire/ — Solvay proudly celebrates that Dutch scientistBen Feringa is among the winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2016, nearly one year after he won the “Chemistry for the Future Solvay Prize”.

Ben Feringa, Professor at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands, won the Nobel Prize jointly with France’s Jean-Pierre Sauvage and Fraser Stoddart of the UK for the design and synthesis of molecular machines.

Feringa’s groundbreaking work on unidirectional molecular motors, a research field that paves the way to new therapeutic and technological applications with nanorobots, earned him the Chemistry for Future Solvay Prize in November last year. The independent Solvay Prize jury saw in Feringa “one of the most creative chemists of the present day”, an opinion which the Nobel Academy confirmed today.

“We are thrilled that Ben Feringa is among the winners of the Nobel Prize, the ultimate recognition that so many scientists dream of. This makes us at Solvay particularly proud to have rewarded him the Solvay Prize and contribute to further advance his research,” said Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, CEO of Solvay. “We are convinced that chemistry, both as a science and as an industry, is crucial in deliveringsolutions for society and in helping human progress.”

Solvay created the prize in 2013 to celebrate its creation 150 years earlier by Ernest Solvay and to perpetuate his commitment as a dedicated and inspired supporter of scientific research. The prize of € 300,000 aims to recognize every other year a major scientific discovery that lays the foundation of the chemistry of the future while promoting human progress.

Follow us on twitter @SolvayGroup

An international chemical and advanced materials company, Solvay assists its customers in innovating, developing and delivering high-value, sustainable products and solutions which consume less energy and reduce CO2 emissions, optimize the use of resources and improve the quality of life. Solvay serves diversified global end markets, including automotive and aerospace, consumer goods and healthcare, energy and environment, electricity and electronics, building and construction as well as industrial applications. Solvay is headquartered in Brussels with about 30,900 employees spread across 53 countries. It generated pro forma net sales of € 12.4 bn in 2015, with 90% made from activities where it ranks among the world’s top 3 players. Solvay SA (SOLB.BE) is listed on Euronext in Brussels and Paris (Bloomberg: SOLB:BB – Reuters: SOLB.BR).

Contact us
Caroline Jacobs
Head of Corporate Media Relations
rue de Ransbeek 310 1120 Brussels, Belgium
Tel+32 2 264 15 30
Send an email

SOURCE: Solvay