Energy storage, digitalization, nanotechnologies… the 6th GDF SUEZ Innovation Awards selected 20 winners from 533 entries. That's a 2.5% increase in entries, compared with 2013. This year's Awards were particularly gratifying for Group Marketing, Innovation and New Business Director Jean-Louis Blanc, who is clearly enthusiastic about the results.

Jean-Louis Blanc, Group Marketing, Innovation and New Business Director at GDF SUEZ, looks back on this innovation-packed event, and shares his vision for the new projects of 2014. Why does the GDF SUEZ Group reward innovative projects originating inside the business?

Jean-Louis Blanc : Innovation is the lifeblood of GDF SUEZ company growth. The Innovation Awards provide the opportunity to reward talent, expertise and bold thinking. The event shines a spotlight on projects with strategic implications and high potential to develop new business for the Group. It's a real source of encouragement for our teams.

Jean-Louis Blanc : The first thing to say is that we should congratulate everyone on the sheer number of initiatives submitted! The judges really had their work cut out. The Cryo-Christallisateur ice slurry generator developed by Axima Réfrigération won the Special Employee Award by an overwhelming majority of votes cast online at innov@gdfsuez by its users. And rightly so! Until now, a lot of projects have focused on miniaturizing renewable energy, but this time, the issue is the storage of refrigeration energy; it's a definite first with an extremely promising future.

How does the Group support the development of projects like these?

Jean-Louis Blanc : Our innovation process is a long-term commitment. In fact, the award-winning projects are already deployed at field level. Some previous award winners are already generating business, and I see it as important to monitor them from year to year. That's precisely the purpose of the Honorary Award presented to a project like Altaïr, an integrated solution for emergency evaluation on oil production platforms. Others selected in this category include a remarkable project, which also received the Advanced Research Award: Nanonsensors, or how to use nanotechnologies to prevent leaks in gas supply pipelines. All of these innovations open doors to the future for the energy industries.

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