Innovation: at the crossroads of talent and history

On its100^thanniversary, Air Liquide Italie, the leader in gases for industry, health and the environment in Italy, was awarded the2^ndprize in innovationby Confindustria (an Italian employers association).

For the second year of this competition, out of the 300 companies that entered, only 29 were chosen for the final selection. This prize honorsa company’s capacity to innovate.

For over a century, Air Liquide has consideredinnovationa pillar of its sustainable growth. The group develops cutting-edge solutions to meet the environmental and energy challenges we face;technologies of the future, to support changes in our life-styles; andtalent, to deepen our knowledge of the matter that composes the universe.

The Group’s 1000 researchers of over 30 nationalities pool their know-how to create tomorrow’s innovations. As gas applications for industry, healthcare and the environment are limitless, the Group has made innovation one of its fundamental values. Its objective: shape tomorrow’s world.

ThisPrizereceived by Air Liquide Italy, in the Large Companies category, reflects theculture of innovationserving the future and its customers, itscapacity to roll out its innovationsand helpimprove industrial processes. One hundred years of challenges and success achieved through its employees’ ongoing commitment to developing ever more innovative solutions to serve its customers.

During these first 100 years,Air Liquide Italyhas been able to grow by combining its employees’ expertise and the experience of a major industrial group. These last 10 years, Air Liquide Italie has been awarded several prizes for its innovations: in 2000, Boreal innovation (wine sector), in 2002, ALS COntel (remote medicine), in 2006, Cryosmart (cryogenics) and in 2007, Ecosparkal (welding).

Today, Air Liquide Italy encompasses:

• + 1,600employees
• 12production units
• 13healthcare centers
• 15filling sites
• + 600kilometers of pipeline networks
• 100,000industrial customers
• 40,000home care patients and560institutions divided between hospitals and nursing homes