Air Liquide and ENS Create a Research Chair on AI and Chemistry
The industrial group is partnering with the École Normale Supérieure and its Foundation on a research program combining artificial intelligence and chemistry. This collaboration is part of normalesup.ai, the interdisciplinary initiative launched by the academic institution in January 2026.
A Chair Dedicated to AI Applied to Chemistry
Air Liquide, the École Normale Supérieure (ENS-PSL) and the ENS Foundation announced on September 14, 2026 the establishment of the research chair "Artificial Intelligence for Chemistry and through Chemistry". This is the first chair launched under normalesup.ai, the ENS initiative dedicated to research, training and innovation in AI. According to the statement, the chair aims to foster new approaches at the interface between AI, chemistry and materials science, in order to accelerate scientific discoveries and address industrial, technological, energy and environmental challenges. The research will focus in particular on reducing data requirements, developing models anchored in physicochemical laws and accelerating the discovery of new molecules and new materials.
Multidisciplinary Approach and Air Liquide's Strategic Positioning
The chair will rely on a multidisciplinary approach, combining recent advances in machine learning with fundamental knowledge of chemistry. Beyond scientific research, it will contribute to training students, doctoral candidates and young researchers at the intersection of AI and chemistry. For Air Liquide, AI is presented as a lever for transformation across its entire value chain, from production to services, including innovation. Armelle Levieux, member of the group's Executive Committee overseeing in particular Innovation and Technology activities, indicated that this chair strengthens the group's collaboration with a leading academic player in AI and enriches its innovation approach. Meanwhile, Frédéric Worms, Director of the École Normale Supérieure, presented this chair as the first of normalesup.ai, an initiative launched in January 2026 bringing together the School's expertise in mathematics, computer science, physics, chemistry, biology, cognitive sciences and human and social sciences.
