Our innovation approach

Our open innovation approach

Our innovation strategy is part of an open ecosystem. It leverages both Air Liquide internal communities and the external innovation ecosystems.

An agile organization

Our Innovation and Development teams come from different entities all around the world and work closely on the same challenges. They gather Research & Development, Digital & IT teams (including Alizent), New Markets & Technologies, i-lab and ALIAD teams. 

The Innovation and Development Division gathers more than 3,000 employees from 70 nationalities at 60 sites.

In the frame of its open innovation approach, Air Liquide has developed numerous collaborations with customers, scientific partners and technology institutes, suppliers and start-ups.

Air Liquide has strongly strengthened its partnerships with startups to accelerate innovation and digital transformation for the benefit of the customer experience: the Group is working with more than 100 start-ups worldwide in different ways.

Through ALIAD, the Group’s Venture Capital, Air Liquide supports the growth of technology start-ups by taking minority stakes in them.

It also relies on incubators and accelerators such as Techstars Paris or the Total startup accelerator, to identify start-ups and support their growth in order to develop new businesses and contribute to innovation.

Accelair, the Air Liquide deeptech start-up accelerator offers selected start-ups, access to experimental spaces as well as a support program with Air Liquide experts, all with the aim of accelerating time-to-market of their offer.

To enhance the value of the ecosystem of start-ups that work closely with the Group, Air Liquide has created the "trusted by Air Liquide" Label¹. Talented start-ups can benefit from this label as long as they meet certain criteria and provide a solution or product to an Air Liquide operating entity or conduct co-development activities with a Group Innovation entity.

Group's innovation entities and Operations co-develop with start-ups digital offers, equipment or products in agile mode, to accelerate innovation

Stories of Air Liquide partners’ startups

Innovate for people and the planet

The Group focuses its innovation expenses on three subjects: energy transition, healthcare and digital transformation. The proliferation of innovative technologies and solutions in the energy transition field, drawing on the strength of digital solutions and their integration in ecosystems, allowed the Group, in 2018, to commit to low-carbon growth as part of its Climate objectives.

In healthcare, the Group also innovates to design and deliver molecules, devices and services that best meet our customers and patients current and future needs.

_{1. Disclaimer: The label “trusted by Air Liquide” means only the fact that L’Air Liquide SA (or one of its subsidiaries) has elected to conduct a co-development project with the start-up or has chosen the start-up as a supplier. It does not in any case imply any general value judgement on the start-up, its activity, nor the way it conducts its business. The label “trusted by Air Liquide” and the information and opinions relating to the start-up that may be available on the website www.airliquide.com (or on the other media used for its institutional communication by L’Air Liquide SA or its subsidiaries) must therefore not be interpreted as an indication or advice for investing in the start-up, nor as a recommendation for the purchase of its goods or services.}

_{The label “trusted by Air Liquide” does not in any manner imply the existence of an association, a joint venture or whatever partnership, de facto or de jure, between L’Air Liquide SA (or one of its subsidiaries) and the start-up. Therefore it must not in any case be interpreted as entailing the joint and several liability of L’Air Liquide SA (or one of its subsidiaries) with the start-up. It does not either imply the existence of an agency agreement between L’Air Liquide SA (or one of its subsidiaries) and the start-up. The start-up is therefore not in any way authorized to act or issue opinions on behalf of L’Air Liquide SA (or one of its subsidiaries). As a consequence, L’Air Liquide SA and its subsidiaries reject any liability vis a vis third parties regarding the label “trusted by Air Liquide”, and invite any third party that may be interested in the start-up to make up its own opinion on it, as the case may be by resorting to specialized advisers.}

_{Use on the territory of the United States of America:}

_{L’Air Liquide SA does not authorize the use of the label “trusted by Air Liquide” on the territory of the United States, nor on any support (whether materialized or dematerialized, including, without limitation, websites, social networks and emails) intended for US citizen or US legal entities.}