From a medical oxygen cylinder to a smartphone, and from energy to food, Air Liquide partners with almost all economic players. Through its unique business model, the Group is able to post long-term growth that creates value for its employees, customers, patients, suppliers and shareholders, as well as society as a whole.
At the core of the Group’s business, industrial and medical gases are used in numerous industrial processes – water treatment, glass manufacturing, preservation of fresh food, farming… – as well as in hospitals and patients’ homes. They are present in everyday products – food, beverages, smartphones, cars, and more.
Whether producing gas or supplying technological equipment and services, Air Liquide designs and implements a multitude of solutions, tailored to the needs of its customers. The Group’s presence in the field, alongside small businesses, large companies and healthcare professionals alike, enables it to detect new needs, develop a detailed understanding of the changes in various markets and offer innovative solutions to meet its customers’ needs. Furthermore, the long-term contracts signed by the Group, particularly with Large Industries customers, provide it with longterm visibility and financial stability.
In healthcare, new patient-centric technologies and the development of healthcare systems in emerging economies all represent growth opportunities for the Group.
A diverse range of geographies and markets, a very strong capacity for innovation, and long-term financial vision all form a winning combination that offers the Group a regular and profitable growth model.
This growth is also responsible. We are highly aware of our impact on the environment and society. For the Group, that means acting where we can make a difference: to reduce our own carbon emissions; to speed up the energy transitionthanks to the development of hydrogen energy in particular; to develop low-carbon solutions for our industrial customers; and to improve the day-to-day lives of our patients. It also means being a model corporate citizen by reinforcing our actions in terms of ethics and safety and by developing dialogue with our stakeholders: employees, customers, patients, suppliers, shareholders and local communities.
This ambition is supported by the strength of its assets: operational excellence, a network organization working closely with customers, a high-potential market investment policy, and an open innovation approach. This four-fold combination allows the Group to develop useful and sustainable solutions in order to support industrial and societal change.
Four stories of our 2020 achievements:
Industry: When proximity leads to innovation and agility
p. 24
Advanced Technologies: In the race for innovation
p. 28
Towards a new approach to value-based healthcare
p. 32
Hydrogen and biomethane, the mobility revolution
p. 36
