Unité de Catalyse et Chimie du Solide (UCCS)

What Unité de Catalyse et Chimie du Solide (UCCS) does

UCCS (Unité de Catalyse et Chimie du Solide) is a French public research laboratory operating as a Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR 8181) under the joint tutelage of CNRS, Université de Lille, Université d'Artois, and Centrale Lille. Founded in 2006 and now marking its 20th anniversary, the laboratory is directed by Jean-François Lamonier and employs approximately 240 people, including 15 CNRS researchers, 88 teacher-researchers, 37 technical and administrative staff, and around 100 doctoral and postdoctoral researchers. Its scientific scope is organized around three axes: Catalysis and Molecular Chemistry, Heterogeneous Catalysis, and Solid-State Chemistry, addressing sustainable development challenges in green chemistry, energy, and the environment.

The laboratory's technology base combines synthesis expertise in molecules and materials with a high-specification analytical park. Signature assets include the Hall Pilote — a pilot-scale catalysis testing facility described as unique in the French academic landscape — high-field solid-state NMR up to 28.8 T with DNP capability, near-ambient pressure XPS (NAP-XPS), and shared Chevreul platforms covering thermal, textural, vibrational, and UV-Visible characterization. UCCS maintains an active international research footprint, including the IPR CYAN joint laboratory with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and East China Normal University (2023-2028), a long-running UMI E2P2L collaboration with Solvay on eco-efficient products and processes, and bilateral projects with Ghent University, University of Hiroshima, University of Sao Paulo, and India's National Chemical Laboratory.

As a non-commercial public research entity, UCCS is funded through institutional support from its supervising bodies and through competitive grants from ANR, Horizon Europe, INTERREG, and regional authorities. Its go-to-market is event- and publication-driven rather than sales-driven, with industrial partners engaged via collaborative contracts, joint laboratories, and technology transfer — exemplified by the recent Hileores energy-storage spin-off. Customer segments span the academic research community, industrial partners in chemicals and energy, and doctoral trainees, with no commercial product pricing and no disclosed revenue stream.

Name

Unité de Catalyse et Chimie du Solide (UCCS)

Legal name

Unité de Catalyse et Chimie du Solide (UCCS)

Website

https://uccs.univ-lille.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UCCS is a French public research laboratory (UMR 8181) under CNRS and three universities, employing ~240 people across catalysis, molecular chemistry, and solid-state chemistry, with unique pilot-scale and high-field NMR facilities serving academic and industrial partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with National Laboratories/Big Science Facilities (EDAHAAAJ)

Keywords

• Catalysis research
• Solid-state chemistry
• Heterogeneous catalysis
• Materials characterization
• Pilot-scale testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Villeneuve d'Ascq

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding: Core funding from French government through CNRS, Université de Lille, Université d'Artois, and Centrale Lille. Additional funding sourced from national and European research grants, including ANR, Horizon Europe, and regional council support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UCCS is a public mixed research unit (UMR 8181) conducting fundamental and applied research in catalysis and solid-state chemistry across three scientific axes: Catalysis and Molecular Chemistry, Heterogeneous Catalysis, and Solid-State Chemistry. It operates advanced analytical platforms and a unique pilot-scale facility (Hall Pilote) to support research, materials synthesis, characterization, and collaborative projects with industry partners.

Product overview

UCCS is a research laboratory (UMR 8181) comprising approximately 240 people, integrating sustainable development challenges through three scientific expertise areas: (i) Catalysis and Molecular Chemistry, (ii) Heterogeneous Catalysis, and (iii) Solid State Chemistry. The laboratory operates analytical platforms of high technicality for characterization, measurement of targeted properties, and performance testing of synthesized objects, supporting both high-level fundamental research and innovations transferable to industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UCCS Collaborative Research Services
• Hall Pilote (Catalysis Pilot Hall)
• Chevreul Analytical Platforms

Quantifiable outcome

• Research published on hybrid perovskite photovoltaics featured on the cover of Science journal (June 2024)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology (APM), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023IPR CYAN (International Project Research) focusing on unraveling synergies between active sites in multifunctional zeolites using high-field and DNP-enhanced NMR. Partnership duration 2023-2028. Contact: Olivier Lafon.
• Université de Gand (Ghent University)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Plasma & Catalysis collaboration (2019-2022) focused on plasma-catalyst coupling for volatile organic compound treatment and plasma-assisted catalyst synthesis. Contact: Jean-François Lamonier.
• University of HiroshimaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018NANOXCAT project (2018-2022) focused on nano-oxide catalysts for biomass valorization, involving University of Hiroshima and University of Kanagawa. Contact: Sébastien Paul.
• University of Sao PaulominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Energy and environment collaboration (2018-2022) with University of Sao Paulo. Contacts: Sébastien Paul and Robert Wojcieszak.
• National Chemical Laboratory Pune, IndiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017MATSUCAT project (2017-2021) focused on functionalized materials for sustainable catalytic and related applications.
• Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, East China Normal University (ECNU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the IPR CYAN international collaboration (2023-2028), focusing on advanced NMR characterization of zeolite catalysts.
• SolvaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUMI E2P2L (Laboratoire des produits et procédés éco-efficients) is a joint laboratory involving Solvay, CNRS, East China Normal University, Université de Fudan, and ENS Lyon, focused on eco-efficient products and processes.
• LR4CU (Laboratoire de Recherche Commun en Chimie Uroscopique)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated laboratory with dedicated webpage under development. Status: Coming soon.
• PUMA (labelled structure)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated laboratory with dedicated webpage under development. Status: Coming soon.
• CNRScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary institutional partner and supervisory authority. UCCS is a UMR 8181 under CNRS tutelage, with 15 CNRS researchers contributing to the laboratory.
• Université de LillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary institutional partner and supervisory authority. Main host institution of UCCS.
• Université d'ArtoiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional partner under whose tutelage UCCS operates, contributing teacher-researchers to the laboratory.
• Centrale LillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional partner and supervisory institution. Hosts multiple UCCS research teams and contributes to the laboratory's governance.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC): Saudi-based academic catalysis research center with world-class spectroscopy infrastructure, comparable interdisciplinary scope in heterogeneous catalysis and materials, but operating primarily outside Europe.

Direct peers

• IRCELYON (Institut de Recherches sur la Catalyse et l'Environnement de Lyon): CNRS/Université Lyon 1 mixed research unit (UMR 5256) focused on heterogeneous catalysis and environmental catalysis. Most directly comparable French academic catalysis lab with similar industry-partnered structure and pilot capabilities.
• Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society: Leading German research institute for fundamental surface science and catalysis, with comparable operando spectroscopy capabilities (NAP-XPS, high-field NMR/EMR) and similar academic-industry partnership model.
• IC2MP (Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers): CNRS/Université de Poitiers mixed research unit (UMR 7285) covering catalysis, materials chemistry, and process engineering. Comparable French academic chemistry institute with multi-university tutelage and applied industrial research programs.
• Technical University of Munich — Chair of Technical Chemistry / Catalysis Research Center: Large European academic catalysis group combining heterogeneous catalysis, spectroscopy, and pilot-scale testing — closely aligned with UCCS's integration of fundamental catalysis research with scale-up infrastructure.
• LCS (Laboratoire de Catalyse et Spectrochimie, Caen): CNRS/ENSICAEN/Université de Caen mixed research unit combining catalysis and spectroscopy, very close in scientific scope (heterogeneous catalysis, operando spectroscopy) and in CNRS tutelage model.

Emerging players

• Hileores: Energy-storage startup spun out of UCCS, focusing on millimeter-scale energy storage. A direct spinout from the lab's solid-state chemistry axis, illustrating UCCS's translational pathway but at very early stage.

Broad incumbents

• Solvay: Major Belgian/French chemical company and UCCS's named industrial partner through UMI E2P2L. Operates substantial industrial catalysis R&D and is a logical benchmark for translational research collaboration economics.
• BASF: World's largest chemical company with a global, well-funded catalysis R&D footprint covering heterogeneous catalysis, process scale-up, and industrial deployment — the dominant private-sector counterpart to academic catalysis labs like UCCS.
• TotalEnergies One Tech: Energy major with a centralized R&D branch covering refining catalysts, hydrogen, and CO2 conversion — directly relevant overlap with UCCS's energy and environmental catalysis axes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unit%C3%A9-de-catalyse-et-chimie-du-solide-uccs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Unité de Catalyse et Chimie du Solide (UCCS)