Securing an edge through specialization

Evonik’s Chemicals Business Area generates €10 billion in annual sales. Some 80 percent of this is from activities in which it holds a leading position. That this is no accident is well illustrated by innovative products like our ‘green’ tires. These owe their environmental moniker to a reinforcing filler in the rubber tread compound. The reinforcing filler cuts rolling resistance and allows up to an eight percent gain in fuel economy. We are the only company capable of producing all three ingredients for this filler ourselves. It’s a similar picture with high-quality animal feed additives: We are the only producer in the world able to supply all of the four key amino acids needed to give farm animals a balanced diet.

Another example of our specialist focus is ceramic wallcoverings by the roll. Our ccflex® flexible ceramic wallcovering is equally well suited to dry, damp and wet conditions. It is easy to work with and care for. Add its scratch and impact resistance to the equation, and it is the ideal material for a huge range of applications.  Incidentally, ccflex® is one of more than 20,000 chemicals patents (each innovation counted once) we have registered so far. We added 350 new patents (initial registrations) in 2006 alone.

Creating a stir with new products is something of a Evonik specialty. But so is finding creative new applications for products that have already been on the market for decades. Take silicas. While the process for producing extremely fine silica dates back to 1942, our AEROSIL® product is a veritable all-rounder in the modern chemical industry. Scratches in paintwork and undercar rust are less of a worry to car owners thanks to innovative solutions from Evonik. This is an accomplishment of our intelligent AEROSIL® surface modification products and environment-friendly Dynaslylan® sol-gel corrosion proofing systems.

No end of specialist knowledge is vested in the ‘power station of the future,’ an ultra-advanced power station developed by experts in our Energy Business Area. The power station of the future unites numerous advantages over its conventional peers. More efficient and economic, safer and more environment-friendly, it also has an innovative modular architecture, making it faster to build and bring into operation. We are now building a plant based on the this design at Duisburg-Walsum in Germany. Once completed, it will be one of the most advanced coal power stations in Europe. The last few years have also seen us build new coal power stations in Turkey, Colombia and the Philippines. These meant mastering scores of geographical challenges. They also highlight our wide-ranging capabilities, expertise and unique standing. Among German power generators, we are leading in building and operating power stations worldwide.

In our Real Estate Business Area, peerless attention to detail makes all the difference in residential accommodation. The focus here is on what people really need. Take accessibility. Barrier-free living is as important to young families with small children as it is to senior citizens wanting to stay independent as long as possible. Of course, many barrier-free features benefit all occupants—like easy-to-climb stairs, elevators, well-planned bathrooms with walk-in showers, stoop-free kitchens, wide doors and bright, airy spaces. We meet these needs systematically when refurbishing existing properties and in the design of new buildings. Beyond our own property boundaries, we take an active part in neighborhood development and management activities to make the surrounding area a good place to live. As residential real estate specialists, we know that attention to detail runs to the big picture as well.