Evonik Meets Science: Innovation as a Growth Engine - Systematic Networking as the Basis for new Successful Products

• More than 250 cooperation agreements with universities.
• Evonik invests more than €10 million annually.
• More than €300 million annually for research and development
• Sharper focus on the conservation of resources

For the fourth time since 2001, the Chemicals Business Area of Evonik Industries (formerly Degussa) is presenting top achievements in research and development at the “Evonik Meets Science” forum. Some two hundred renowned external and internal scientists from Germany and other countries will be on hand for two days of technical presentations to provide information and discussion opportunities about the latest developments in the broad field of chemicals. Dr. Alfred Oberholz, member of the Executive Board of Evonik Industries AG; responsible for R&D in the Chemical Business Area, says, "Our experience has shown that we have to link science and industry with each other in a systematic way. The transfer of knowledge keeps Evonik's innovation engine running smoothly."

The Chemical Business Area has more than 250 cooperation agreements with universities, in which it invests over 10 million Euros per year. The aim is to transfer the results of top-level research to the company as quickly as possible.

A total of 304 million euros was spent on research and development (R&D) in 2006. Investment in R&D has been increased continuously over the last years. The last increase was 3%.

The Chemicals Business Area is increasingly focussing on the conservation of resources. In 2006, more than 700,000 metric tons of renewable plant based raw materials were used, especially dextrose and saccharose, fats and oils, and bio-ethanol. This amounts to some 6 percent of raw materials used by the Chemicals Business Area. At present, about 75 percent of Evonik's products for the cosmetics industry are based on natural raw materials.

More networking, better solutions for customers

The theme of this year’s Evonik Meets Science event is “Areas of Competence.” This term refers to platforms that pool and network knowledge, experience, and technologies across business units in order to make optimal use of the existing knowledge in the company and to apply it even more specifically to practical solutions for customers.

Evonik’s Areas of Competence include

• Coating and Bonding Technologies (raw materials and technologies for coating and adhesive formulations)
• Interfacial Technologies Inorganic
• Particle Design (inorganic powders with customized particle morphology and surface chemicals)
• Designing with Polymers (entire process chain for polymers production) and
• Biotechnology (biotechnology processes such as fermentation and biocatalysis)

In Coating and Bonding Technologies, Evonik is one of the leading suppliers of raw materials for coating and bonding products in virtually all market segments. In dialog with our customers, new products are developed exactly to what the market calls for. This is demonstrated by, for instance, the resource-conserving curing of powder coatings at low processing temperatures (powder coatings curer).

In the Competence Area Interfacial Technologies, Evonik is working to develop new technologies for building paints and printing inks, products for avoiding electrostatic charges in floors, and materials to protect cosmetic active ingredients against environmental influences, known under the product name TEGOSPHERE®.

In the Competence Area Inorganic Particle Design, Evonik optimizes fillers for green tires to reduce rolling resistance and continuously reduce CO2 emissions. In the cosmetics market, too, development is steadily advancing. For example, zinc oxide for protection from the sun's rays is brought to you by Evonik.

Polymers are at the focus of Designing with Polymers. Evonik's products are used for tradeshow installations, in satellite launch rockets, in medical technology, or in high-performance foams such as ROHACELL®, a material used in rotor blades, skis, and airplanes.

Evonik has been active in Biotechnology for a long time, and was among the co-founders of CLIB, the cluster for industrial biotechnology. The Science-to-Business Center Bio in Marl develops highly efficient procedures that are based on bio-renewables, for instance, for the production of plastics. Further efforts focus on the optimization of bioprocesses, for example, in the use of pharmaceutical amino acids for infusion solutions, in amino acids for animal feed and special drug components.