Evonik has an extensive patent strategy to protect new products and processes. The value and quality of our patent portfolio have increased steadily in recent years. 256 new patent applications were submitted in 2022, aand we had around 24,000 patents and pending patents. R&D expenses totaled €460 million in 2022. Idea-to-Profit is used to manage our R&D projects - from the idea through systematic development to profitable commercialization.

Our R&D pipeline comprises a balanced mixture of short-, mid-, and long-term R&D projects. On the other hand, we constantly strive to improve our processes in order to strenghten our cost leadership, and other, our projects open the door to new markets and new fields of technology. Ou rprojects portfolio is cconsistently aligned with our innovation growth fields and Next Generation Solutions, which have high sustainability benefits.

Evonik’s global R&D network comprises more than 40 locations with approximately 2,700 R&D employees.

Through our venture capital program, we take stakes in companies whose know-how can support us in joint developments. Aspects of digitalization are becoming more significant. Opportunities and risks in R&D relate to the viability of planned product and process developments and the timing of their implementation. In our view, the main additional potential arising from the introduction of new products that go beyond our present planning comes from our Nxt Generation Solutions.