From 22 September to 31 October 2003, the “SolVinBretzel” Canopy Raft will be taking part in a new scientific adventure.  This time it will host twenty international scientists on top of Panama’s tropical forest for an international research mission into insect biodiversity.
This mission, christened “IBISCA”, is being partnered by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI)** from its permanent base in the San Lorenzo rain forest, near Fort Sherman, Panama.

IBISCA’s goal is to gain an idea of the specific wealth of the insect world – the largest biological group on our planet estimate – from the forest floor right up to the forest canopy.  In particular it will be comparing biodiversity on the forest canopy and elsewhere on the trees. The mission is seeking answers to a question of particular interest to scientists today: “Where does most of our planet’s biological wealth lie?”

SOLVAY is backing this new mission, organised by Pro natura International and Océan Vert, two NGOs that specialise in sustainable development in tropical forests.  Primary sponsor is its SOLVIN joint venture, which with the Solvay Group is providing funding for the entire operation.  The Brazilian subsidiary SOLVAY INDUPA is also involved.

SOLVIN and SOLVAY already partnered these NGOs’ ‘Canopy Raft – Madagascar 2001’ mission, for which the new “SolVinPretzel” canopy raft was built.

The SolVin Bretzel will enable the IBISCA mission to produce the first quasi-complete inventory of a whole section of Panamanian tropical forest. Until now exploration has been limited to the radius of two fixed cranes installed on site by the STRI.  With these two cranes, Panama is already one of the most advanced countries in the study of tropical forests and of the forest canopy in particular. The mobility of the SolVinBretzel, which will be helicoptered from one site to another – with the “Canopy Bubble” providing a shuttle service with the cranes – will provide researchers with a new dimension.

Additional information on the IBISCA mission and the SolVin Bretzel can be found on the www.solvinbretzel.com site, which will be updated throughout the mission.

*IBISCA = "Investigating the Biodiversity of Soil and Canopy Arthropods"
** STRI Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, is a world-renowned research institute which is based in Washington (http://www.stri.org/index.php3)

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SOLVIN was created in 1999 when Solvay and BASF joined forces in the vinyls sector. Their combined know-how, organisational synergies, complementary product ranges and upstream integration make SolVin a leader on PVC and PVDC markets. The joint venture has plants in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Benelux.
Further information on www.solvinpvc.com

SOLVAY is an international chemicals and pharmaceutical group headquartered Brussels and employing over 30,000 people in 50 countries.  In 2002 the Group generated consolidated sales of EUR 7.9 billion in its four sectors: Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals; Plastics and Processing.  Solvay SA is one of the 100 main European shares making up the Euronext 100 index.
Further information on www.solvay.com

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Annex:

Scientific programme and equipment

The latest tropical biology equipment in the form of the SolVinBretzel (SolVinBretzel) raft, in conjunction with the canopy bubble and the STRI fixed cranes, will enable researchers to access the forest canopy with a minimum of damage.

Primary sponsor for the new SolVinPretzel Canopy Raft, which was designed in 2000, is SolVin, a joint venture between Solvay and BASF in the PVC resins field.

The “SolVinBretzel” is a 500 m² flexible PVC platform made up of a number of inflatable pontoon linked by netting.  Its relative mobility, allowing several site changes during a one-month mission, makes it the ideal tool for a comparative study of this type, allowing experiments can be carried out by day and by night in the treetops accessible from the edge of the raft.

This relatively short (6 weeks) thematic mission involves a team of some twenty researchers plus a technical team.  These will be joined on site by world-renowned entomologists from France, Belgium, Italy, Panama, Switzerland and the USA, some of them no newcomers to “Canopy Raft” missions.  The different institutes represented include the Milan Natural History Museum, the Smithsonian Institute / National Natural History Museum, CIRAD and CNRS France, and the Universities of Clermond-Ferrand and Montpellier.

Dr Yves Basset has been appointed scientific director of the operation by the STRI, a responsibility he will share with Dr Bruno Corbara (University of Clermond-Ferrand), president of Operation Canopy and scientific director of the “Canopy Raft” consortium.

Information on the scientific programme can be found on www.solvinbretzel.com.

The “Canopy Bubble”	STRI fixed crane at San Lorenzo, Panama

For further information please contact :

Jacques de Gerlache , Health, Safety and Environment Corporate Communications
SOLVAY S.A. Corporate Headquarters
Tel: 32 2 509 64 54
Fax: 32 2 509 72 40
E-mail : jacques.degerlache@solvay.com

Martial Tardy , Corporate Press Officer
SOLVAY SA Headquarters
Tel: 32 2 509 72 30
Fax: 32 2 509 72 40
E-mail : martial.tardy@solvay.com