Italmatch 25th anniversary: The Next 25 years – Tomorrow

This path has deep roots: over the years, through R&D activities, an increasing number of solutions and products with a lower environmental impact have been launched: products being biodegradable or allowing less waste both in production and in final use, or able to support and streamline the development of green supply chains, for example solutions for renewable energy.

Today, the Group is a supplier of lubricants for improving the efficiency of wind turbines, of flame retardants for photovoltaic systems and electrical vehicles, of antifouling agents for geothermal systems, resins for the selective recovery of metals, but also of fundamental raw materials for electric vehicle batteries and lubrification. It also supports access to drinking water in countries where there is scarcity, providing solutions for traditional (thermal) and innovative low energy consumption (reverse osmosis) desalination process.

ln parallel with internal growth, strategic acquisitions were also made, already mentioned in the previous chapters: just think of the Magpie startup, for the selective recovery of metals, or Eco-lnhibitors, for the development of products for the oil & gas sector that derived from salmon waste. ln more recent years, ltalmatch has been recognized as a fundamental partner for a number of European projects, which have allowed it to play a leading role in green transition and circular economy.

To confirm its sustainability strategy, ltalmatch has joined the Global Compact, the United Nations organization which aims to monitor the alignment of strategies with the sustainable development objectives that were defined globally in 2015. Among the various ESG areas for ltalmatch Chemicals, the sensitive part is above all the environment, due to the significant implications for the various stakeholders and the common sentiment towards the topic of climate change. For this reason, ltalmatch has accelerated the path towards reducing its carbon footprint by 2030.

At the end of 2022 ltalmatch joined Science Based Target (a body recognized by the United Nations) and submitted its emissions reduction plan for their approval. The group then proceeded with the inventory of GHG emissions, certifying the data by a third party, and undertook paths according to CDP and TCFD models.

The importance of R&D

With seven R&D Centers between Europe and the United States, Italmatch Chemicals has turned research and development into its main growth driver. Today, with its central hub in Arese, Italy, it focuses on two areas: the development of solutions for rapid launch on the market and Beyond Innovation projects, i.e. those that engage the team in research for medium-long term projects.

Italmatch, with the PARSES project, participates in three areas: creation of a SMART supply platform that goes from the development of the packaging to the loading and unloading system to guarantee a supply in line with the new directives imposed by the ecological transition of phosphorus pentachloride, the basis of the current LiPF6 liquid electrolytes. Study and industrial translation of the synthesis and production process of precursors for solid electrolytes – safer and more performing – are at the basis of the SSBs of the future.

Sustainable chemical technologies with IoT integration for the disposal of used batteries and the selective extraction of the metals contained there for the purposes of their reuse with a view to a circular and systemic economy. The project is important not only for the end of life of batteries, but also for providing an alternative to the extraction and procurement of secondary rare materials for the creation of new batteries.

FlashPhos for Phosphorus recycle and reuse: full circularity

For years Italmatch has considered the so-called P4 its founding “backbone.” Even today, half of the Group’s products are phosphorus-based. Listed by Europe as a “critical” raw material (i.e. exhaustible, coming from extractive activity, and available only outside Europe), the great challenge is to find alternative ways to obtain it.
Italmatch has been conducting innovative research for years for the recovery of phosphorus from urban waste materials. Since 2022 it has become the leader of a European consortium, FlashPhos, which aims to apply on a large scale a thermochemical process to sustainably produce high-quality white phosphorus (P4) and other valuable
raw materials using sewage sludge or incinerator’s ashas the starting product. The project follows an economically and ecologically virtuous and climate-friendlycircular economy approach, with all output materials used in European industry, some of which replace critical or CO2-relevant raw materials.

Community relations and social

The first social responsibility for a chemical company starts from the territories where it is present, a relationship in which Italmatch has always believed in and invested.

In Norcia, as part of a journey that encompassed Spoleto and the whole region, Turci attended a conference following the earthquake that hit Umbria and Marche in 2017 to talk about reconstruction and organize support of the population, especially for school groups. For Italmatch, schools are an important point of contact with communities.

This is why Italmatch has always been close to and supports the “value” of sport, in particular youth sport and as a vehicle for social inclusion.
Among the most historic partnerships supported by the Group is Stelle nello Sport, a project that promotes sport and its values among young people, enhances and supports the activity of local associations and raises funds to support the Gigi Ghirotti Foundation (social and health care for seriously ill patients). A path that lives all year round and is a precious point of reference for the world of sport and education throughout Liguria, the region where Italmatch headquarters are located. The SportAbility Day project involved 850 kids who were able to try 34 sports disciplines in the village without barriers.

The Panathlon association is also involved in projects to support inclusiveness and the breaking down of barriers. Italmatch is also committed to promoting gender diversity in the world of chemistry, a sector in which the still felt prejudice towards some tasks makes cultural change and, consequently, gender diversity difficult.

For this reason, the group has joined the Valore D network, the first business association founded in Italy which, through leadership and mentorship paths, promotes gender diversity and a more inclusive culture.