- Evonik Industries

Transcription

- Evonik Industries

Evonik Magazine CHEMICAL INDUSTRY SPECIAL ISSUE September 2010
Evonik Magazine
CHEMICAL INDUSTRY SPECIAL ISSUE
September 2010
The Green Power
of Chemistry
Developments in the field of chemistry
make a sustainable lifestyle possible
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www.evonik.com
Who helps turn
sand into solar cells?
We do.
Sand becomes solar silicon, and solar silicon becomes solar
energy: We deliver indispensable base elements for
the low-cost production of solar cells. We are the creative
industrial group from Germany active in the fields of
Chemicals, Energy and Real Estate. With over 100 production
sites in around 30 countries we are one of the world’s
leading providers in the profitable specialty chemicals market.
216403_SandkastEvonikMagENG.indd
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FOREWORD 3
There’s No Progress Without Chemistry
PHOTOGRAPHY: BERNHARD HUBER
Professor Dr. Hans-Jörg Bullinger, President of the Fraunhofer Society, writes about the challenges
facing chemistry at the end of the oil era
“Mister Innovation,”
Hans-Jörg Bullinger,
is head of the
Fraunhofer Society
Shaping technological change—In Germany, the period of strong
growth in the chemicals industry, automaking, and mechanical
engineering is already over. Germany as a research location is
still a leader in these technological fields, which have a great economic impact. But a transformation has begun, and these industries are facing huge challenges. The chemicals industry must
shape the change to white biotechnology, even though there will
still be a place for traditional methods, and the automotive
industry must shape the change to electromobility. The basic raw
materials of industrial society to date—coal, oil, and natural
gas—are growing scarce and thus increasingly expensive. Climate
change and stricter environmental laws are demanding new
alternatives.
Going places with e-mobility—The development of electromobility is dependent on its key component, the battery.
Germany should make massive efforts to occupy a leading role
in battery technology. In recent years, the universities have
abolished almost all of the professorships for electrochemistry.
This is having an effect on the publication statistics for German
scientists in the area of electrochemistry, especially in the field of
battery technology. Similarly, the number of patents registered
by German companies and research institutes in this field is not
very promising. The Fraunhofer Society has launched extensive
measures to build up research capabilities in these areas. The
German Research Foundation (DFG) has started a research initiative regarding high-performance lithium batteries. It would
make sense to concentrate in the future on
batteries of the next generation.
Replacing oil gradually—Biomass is the
only alternative source of carbon for the
chemicals and pharmaceutical industry.
The use of biogenic raw materials is inextricably linked with industrial biotechnology. Sustainably produced raw materi-
als are used to manufacture chemical and pharmaceutical
products as well as foodstuffs, feed products, and energy
sources. Today, German industry is already using more than
two million tons of sustainably produced raw materials,
which is about ten percent of all chemical raw materials.
The prerequisites for increasing this percentage are sufficient
availability, constant high quality, and competitive prices. These
requirements can be met by developing new biotechnological
processes and biocatalysts that are highly selective, economical,
and sustainable. All of the world’s leading chemicals companies
agree that biotechnology is the key technology of the 21st century. The Fraunhofer Society has addressed this challenge by
launching an interdisciplinary research association that consists
of eight Fraunhofer institutes and aligning its process technology
research in this direction.
Taking the forest path—With the aim of becoming the world
leader in biorefinery research, Germany has set up a pilot plant
where industrial companies can experiment with the switch
from oil to wood, which is a sustainable raw material. In June the
German Minister of Agriculture, Ilse Aigner, handed over a confirmation of government aid amounting to almost €8.5 million to
a research association of 20 partners that aims to commission
a test plant in the chemicals industrial venue Leuna by the end of
2011. In recent years, research partners such as Bayer, Evonik,
and the Fraunhofer Society, coordinated by the Society for
Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (Dechema), have
developed a process that transforms wood into cellulose,
hemicellulose, and lignin of previously unattained high quality
and converts these into sugar. This is the starting material for
chemical and biotechnological processes.
Using biotechnologies—The research area of industrial
white biotechnology is especially important for the chemical,
pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and food industries. These
areas, together with the users of their products—for example,
the plastics, automotive, and electrical industries—will have
a decisive impact on biotechnology. From the perspective of industry and research, biotechnology is an important growth
market that also offers tremendous innovation potential. There’s
a great deal of interest in systematic process technology solutions that not only encompass the entire field of processes—in
other words, everything from the biogenic
raw material, enzymes and biotransformation processes to the bio-based product—
but also take sustainability into account.
When it comes to chemical and biological
process technology, Germany also has
an excellent opportunity to participate in
the growth markets of the future.
“To address our global
challenges, we have to
gain advantages from
efficiency and help
achieve sustainability.”
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4 CONTENTS
The Authors
The authors whose
contributions made this
special issue possible:
Prof. Dr. Hans-Jörg Bullinger, President
of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, has not
only been honored with numerous international awards; in 1998 he also received
the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of
Germany for outstanding service to science,
business, and society
Markus Honsig is a freelance journalist
and author. His work focuses on topics such
as the development of the automobile and
its importance for the environment, business,
and society
Dr. Klaus Engel speaks with Dr. Thilo Bode
Page 6
Dr. Godwin Mabande works in Ludwigshafen Page 12
Klaus Jopp is a freelance journalist and
editor specializing in the natural sciences
and technology. He is the author of the
book Nanotechnologie – Aufbruch ins Reich
der Zwerge (Nanotechnology—Setting
Course for the Land of the Dwarves)
Michael Kömpf is a science journalist
specializing in medicine and technology.
He writes about innovative technologies for science and business media
Christiane Oppermann is a freelance business journalist and author. She has served
as an editor at Manager Magazin and Stern as
well as a department head at Woche
Dr. Brigitte Röthlein is a science author.
Her latest book is about the Curies:
Marie und Pierre Curie – Leben in Extremen
(Marie and Pierre Curie—Life at the
Extremes)
Tom Schimmeck works as a freelance
journalist for newspapers, magazines,
and radio. He writes about politics, science,
and technology
Günter Verheugen is an honorary professor
at the European University Viadrina in
Frankurt (Oder). Until February 2010 he
served as the European Union
Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry
Dr. Caroline Zörlein is a science journalist
and chemist. She writes for general
interest media and corporate magazines
The latest generation of cars are light thanks to plastics, carbon fiber, and chemicals—and sporty like the McLaren
MASTHEAD
Publisher:
Evonik Industries AG
Christian Kullmann
Rellinghauser Str. 1–11
45128 Essen
Publication Manager/
Head of Corporate Internal
Communications
and Group Media:
Stefan Haver
Editor in Chief:
Sven Scharnhorst (responsible
for editorial content)
Art Direction:
Wolf Dammann
Final Editing:
Michael Hopp (Head),
Birgitt Cordes
Documentation:
Kerstin Weber-Rajab,
Tilman Baucken; Hamburg
Managing Editor:
Stefan Glowa
Design:
Teresa Nunes (Head),
Anja Giese/Redaktion 4
Picture Desk:
Ulrich Thiessen
Copy Desk:
Wilm Steinhäuser
Publisher and address:
HOFFMANN UND CAMPE
VERLAG GmbH, a GANSKE
VERLAGSGRUPPE company
Harvestehuder Weg 42
20149 Hamburg
Telephone +49 40 44188-457
Fax +49 40 44188-236
e-mail [email protected]
Translation:
TransForm, Cologne
03.09.2010 16:27:00 Uhr
CONTENTS 5
FOREWORD
3 There’s No Progress Without Chemistry
Prof. Hans-Jörg Bullinger, President of the Fraunhofer Society, on the
challenges facing chemistry at the end of the oil era
DEBATING
6 Dialogue
Dr. Klaus Engel debates Dr. Thilo Bode on reconciling the economy and
ecology. What responsibility does the chemical industry have?
DEVELOPING
12 German Chemicals Take On the World
Uta Heinrich and Volkhard Czwielong are working for progress in Marl
Page 42
The new markets are on the other side of the globe, where new players
from China, India, and the Middle East are taking their place on the
world’s chemicals stage. How is the German chemical industry meeting
the challenge?
DESIGNING
28 Günter Verheugen
The chemical industry used to spark fierce debates, but today people are
talking about the many solutions it offers for future problems. An essay
SHAPING
PHOTOGRAPHY: MCLAREN AUTOMOTIVE, KIRSTEN NEUMANN, BASF SE, CATRIN MORITZ, YOUNICOS,
MONTAGE: THOMAS DASHUBER, ULLSTEIN BILD/AISA; COVER ILLUSTRATION: AXEL KOCK
32 Chemistry Gives Automobiles Wings
MP4-12C
Page 32
Management:
Manfred Bissinger,
Dr. Kai Laakmann,
Dr. Andreas Siefke
Publication Manager:
Dr. Ingo Kohlschein
Production:
Claude Hellweg (Head),
Oliver Lupp
New materials and technologies are ushering in a new age of automotive
design, and permanently changing the way we look at mobility
EXPERIENCING
All solar technology is chemistry
Page 46
42 The Battle of the Backyard
Many Germans immediately get up in arms whenever an industrial project is
being planned—even if the plans call for a biogas facility or wind turbine.
RECOGNIZING
46 Catching Rays with Chemistry
Whether its solar cells or energy storage systems, energy-efficiency technologies have one thing in common: They are based on discoveries in chemistry
ACHIEVING
52 The Women After Curie
A hundred years ago, Prof. Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize for chemistry.
Today many women study chemistry, but few go on to occupy top positions
LIVING
58 Microzoos for Saving the World
Dr. Bettina Lotsch, a professor at age 32
Lithography: PX2, Hamburg
Printing: Neef+Stumme
premium printing, Wittingen
Copyright: © 2010 by
Evonik Industries AG, Essen.
Reprinting only with the
permission of the publisher.
The contents do not
necessarily reflect the opinion
of the publisher.
Page 52
Contact:
Questions and suggestions on
the contents of the magazine:
Telephone
+49 201 177-3831,
Fax
+49 201 177-2908,
e-mail
[email protected]
Tom Schimmeck reports on biochemistry, the solution to global problems
Questions about orders or
subscriptions:
Telephone
+49 40 68879-139
Fax
+49 40 68879-199
e-mail
[email protected]
CHROMA-CHEM®,
COLORTREND®,
DYNACOLL®, DYNAPOL®,
PLEXIGLAS®, ROHACELL®,
STOKO®, and VESTAMID®
are registered trademarks of Evonik
Industries AG or one of its
subsidiaries. They are indicated in
capital letters throughout the text
You can also find this
issue of Evonik Magazine
online at
www.evonik.com
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07.09.2010 17:16:44 Uhr
6 D E B AT I N G
“The Million-Dollar Question”
Dr. Thilo Bode is the
founder of the Foodwatch
consumer protection
organization. Prior to that,
he served as an executive at
Greenpeace. His most
recent book is Abgespeist
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Evonik Magazine: Dr. Engel, you are the CEO of an
internationally operating industrial group that is soon
to be listed on the stock market. What do you feel
more committed to: your shareholders’ earnings or the
common good?
Klaus Engel: That’s one of the million-dollar questions. The most recent financial crisis demonstrated
that a one-sided focus on short-term profit is not very
helpful. It also revealed that although we’ve talked a
lot about sustainability during the past few years, we
haven’t really taken the topic seriously. We need to
think about future generations. But to answer your
question: Acting responsibly also means balancing different interests. We need capital in order to do business, but we also have to use labor and other resources
carefully and think hard about how to create value for
all of the stakeholders.
Dr. Bode, you studied economics, and you’ve very
successfully served in several positions, some in the
private sector. You were the head of Greenpeace
for 12 years, and in 2002 you established the Foodwatch
consumer protection organization. Did you do an
intentional about-face, or has your career simply developed in a logical direction?
Thilo Bode: If I could first briefly comment on Dr.
Engel’s answer…
Engel: …yes, please.
Bode: First of all, the financial crisis did not occur because of the pursuit of short-term profit but instead
because governments gave bank managers instruments that rendered basic banking regulations
inoperative. Secondly, what you said about divided
responsibility is sugar coating. Everybody knows
that when things get difficult, companies must think
primarily about their profits—and there’s absolutely
nothing wrong with that. After all, it’s not their job
to save the world. Please don’t take this personally,
but I consider all the babbling about corporate social
responsibility to be nothing but hot air. Now to answer
the question: I didn’t switch sides. I’m still fighting on
the same front, it just involves different aspects. The
environment is a legally protected common good, and
consumer protection—admittedly a horrible phrase—
involves protecting individual consumer rights. In both
cases, the idea is to roll back the inordinate amount of
influence that business has on government. Basically,
we’re foot soldiers fighting for the common good—but
without weapons.
13.09.2010 12:59:00 Uhr
D E B AT I N G 7
Can economy and ecology be reconciled? What is the responsibility of the chemical
industry in this regard? Klaus Engel, CEO of Evonik and president-elect of the
German Chemical Industry Association, debates Thilo Bode, founder of Foodwatch and
former executive director of Greenpeace
HOST MANFRED BISSINGER
PHOTOGRAPHY KIRSTEN NEUMANN
Dr. Klaus Engel is a chemist
who began his career at
Chemische Werke Hüls. He
has served as the CEO of
Evonik Industries AG since
January 1, 2009
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13.09.2010 12:59:11 Uhr
8 D E B AT I N G
“I reject the suggestion put forth
by business that all problems can be
overcome with technology” Thilo Bode
One of the biggest issues in recent decades has
been how to reconcile economy and ecology.
Do you have the feeling that progress has been
made—and if so, what type of progress?
Bode: Reconciliation has not succeeded, and anyone
who says anything different is not paying attention to
the facts. We probably lost the battle against global
warming long ago, and we’re losing the fight to maintain biodiversity, which is the second major issue. Now
to the microeconomic level: When Mr. Engel uses his
amino acids to make poultry feed processing a little
more efficient and thus helps to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions from meat production, he’s making money
while he’s doing it, and what he does is also good for
the climate. However, this microeconomic reconciliation of ecology and economy changes nothing in terms
of the negative global situation.
Are we experiencing a painful process that will require
even more courage on our part in the future?
Engel: We have set ourselves an ambitious goal, and
8_Evonik_02-10_EN 8
I am convinced that we can only achieve it through
constructive dialogue with all the parties involved—
businesses, governments, unions, churches, and of
course NGOs. We need to organize this dialogue in
an impartial manner. We in the chemical industry, at
least, are striving to reconcile economic, environmental, and social needs.
Bode: You wanted to answer the question about reconciling economy and ecology. We’ve already had enough
dialogue. All everyone does is talk…
Engel: …so why isn’t anything happening, Mr. Bode?
Bode: Because responsibilities aren’t being clearly delineated and there has been no clear commitment by
business to accept the role of a strong government. We
need laws and regulations. There can be no sustainability without national and international intervention in
the market. Such intervention has to happen, and companies finally need to honestly answer the question as
to the role government should play.
Do governments and the political parties that form
them understand what’s at stake here?
Engel: It’s true that economic and environmental concerns have not yet been reconciled in all areas. We need
to keep working toward this goal, as it is still a very important task. On the other hand, I believe it’s unfortunate that during the crisis the government degenerated
into a type of repair-shop outfit. Government should
not try to act as though it were better at conducting
business than the businesses themselves; instead, it
should establish the key framework conditions. We
need to reach a basic consensus that is acceptable for
all social groups on how we wish to shape the future.
And it’s important that the NGOs are involved here as
well, Mr. Bode.
Bode: I don’t agree with your view of the role of government. Seeking consensus is not the main job of the
state. The primary task of government is to weigh conflicting interests and then to make decisions—if necessary, against the interests of business. What I’ve seen,
however, is that governments have largely surrendered their regulating function. This was very clear
to see during the crisis, when governments were unable to implement the necessary capital market regulations, not because they didn’t want to but because the
influence of the financial sector was too strong. Corporations are working both sides of the street. On the
one hand, they produce glossy brochures about social responsibility, while on the other hand they de-
13.09.2010 12:59:18 Uhr
D E B AT I N G 9
ploy armies of lobbyists fortified with billions of euros
in order to shoot holes in the regulations and established standards that govern sustainability. This has
to change.
So there’s no chance that we’ll see an alliance
of reason and responsibility between government,
industry, and the citizens?
Bode: That’s completely idealistic. What we need to
do is to look at the conflicting interests of the parties
involved. Businesses have an obligation to generate
profit for themselves and their shareholders. Mercedes
is the market leader for large sedans; it can’t simply
start building bicycles overnight. That would be economic suicide. Alliances? What’s supposed to come of
that? Either business gets its way or we get solutions
without substance and a dreadful type of regulation
chaos, simply because no one has clearly addressed the
competing interests involved. What we need is clear
and honest debate and less cheap talk.
Engel: I’m not that pessimistic. After all, we’ve made
good progress—and in a few cases even done too much
good, if you look at some of the regulations we now
have. Mr. Bode, some of our laws here in Germany are
now more restrictive and far-reaching than those in any
other country worldwide. We therefore have problems
with competitiveness because we’ve decided to be the
pioneer in environmental technology. That’s all right,
and we can accept it as long as jobs aren’t transferred
out of the country and we don’t dismantle our industrial base. We put a lot of effort into the EU’s REACH
legislation in order to regulate the use and production
of chemical substances—to enhance consumer safety,
among other things. But we also have to state clearly
that if we want to live in a no-risk society, we’ll end
up sitting on the sidelines of the development of key
future technologies and all the opportunities they offer. And it also means that people will have to sacrifice
some of their prosperity.
Bode: If we succeed here in defining clear positions on
both sides, then we’ll already have accomplished a lot.
Our goal in this discussion is not necessarily to generate a single opinion. The chemical industry has manufactured some horrible products over the years and
contaminated the world with toxic chemicals. Nevertheless, it’s quite useful that you are now developing technologies for vehicle tires that reduce fuel consumption by ten percent—hats off to you! Still, we need
to establish a consensus that this is not enough. Sustain-
ability requires us to think in broader terms. Of course
competitiveness plays a role, and I’ll also concede that
you’ve accomplished some things. My point is that it’s
still not enough.
Engel: I agree. I can understand your criticism, and I
believe some of it is justified, but we should nonetheless not really try to turn back the clock and create paradise-like conditions so that we can live like Adam and
Eve. We can’t do that, and we don’t want to either.
Can you be more specific?
Engel: Here in Europe, we already live in a highly developed region, which is why we don’t have the right to
tell the emerging markets they’re not allowed to catch
up with us. Even though we’re giving them excellent
advice, that realization is also part of the challenge of
preventing the planet from getting even further out
of balance. Whether it’s energy consumption, climate
change, or the question of how we can feed all these
people, and what that will mean for the agricultural
system, the water supply, and all other resources—my
belief is that we can only overcome this challenge if we
utilize the technologies that are already available today. This process can pose risks and will consume resources. However, people need to know that the luxury we enjoy cannot simply be ordered on the Internet
without any risk.
Bode: Again I have to disagree with you. Along with industry’s lack of acceptance of the role of government,
you’ve also got another blind spot: the limits of growth.
I’m a huge fan of technology—but the only thing we
can do with it and the associated increase in resource
efficiency is to postpone the day when the limits are
reached. Moreover, it’s for society to decide whether
it wants to accept the risks of technology. I reject the
suggestion put forth by business that all problems can
be overcome with technology. The best example is the
electric car. Here, the automotive industry wants us
to believe that we can keep driving a two-ton Daimler—all we have to do is to stick a plug into an electric
socket, otherwise everything stays the same. That’s
not going to happen, of course. The electric car will
remain strictly an urban vehicle in the foreseeable future, and the heavy highway gas guzzler will become a
thing of the past because we’re going to run out of oil.
So if you want to call for an alliance of reason, please
be more honest.
Engel: That’s a good example to get a serious discussion of the problems going. Okay, let’s talk about
“We in the
chemical
industry, at
least, are
striving to
reconcile
economic,
environmental,
and social
needs”
Klaus Engel
9_Evonik_02-10_EN 9
13.09.2010 12:59:25 Uhr
10 D E B A T I N G
“We probably
lost the battle
against global
warming
long ago”
Thilo Bode
Meeting in Essen:
Greenpeace and Foodwatch
activist Thilo Bode (left)
poses critical questions to
Evonik CEO Klaus Engel
in a debate hosted
by Manfred Bissinger
10_Evonik_02-10_EN 10
the hype associated with the electric car. Obviously
a lot of what’s being propagated now is of a dubious nature and questionable from an objective point of view.
I would much prefer it if we realized that electric vehicles are an option that will give us the confidence to
solve a key future issue, rather than hyping them like
the bubbles we’ve all seen burst in the past. The fact
is that we can’t get people to abandon their desire for
individual mobility—not here and not in the emerging
markets. And if we’re going to take sustainability seriously over the long term, we have to accept the fact
that fossil fuel resources are finite.
Oil most of all?
Engel: Definitely—and there are much better uses for
oil than simply burning it in an automobile.
Bode: In 2020 we will have perhaps one million electric cars on the road in Germany and six million worldwide. That’s the pitiful reality. The other reality is that
all the additional oil that’s been extracted since 2000
has come from offshore wells, and we’re all familiar
with the dangers and risks involved with those. Just
think about Deepwater Horizon and the Gulf of Mexico. For that reason alone, we’re only deluding ourselves if we think that individual mobility will still be
the same in 30 years as it is today, only electric. So the
industry is not coming clean with consumers. What we
need to do right now is to drastically reduce the fuel
consumption of automobiles.
Engel: Electric drives represent one option for making the individual mobility of the future more environmentally friendly. The other option is to develop
technologies that conserve fuel. Think about how long
we’ve been talking about hydrogen. I’m not trying to
play off one option against the other; I’m just saying I
think various options are important. What I definitely
don’t want to see is a situation where we fail to act in
time, and then one day start demanding that a new
technology be developed in five years because oil has
now really become scarce, prices are increasing, and
social tension is rising. It takes decades to develop alternative technologies. That’s why I’m optimistic about
electric mobility. I’m also aware that the petroleum industry has forfeited a great deal of credibility because
of Deepwater Horizon. We can’t allow such things to
occur if we want the risks and opportunities associated
with our technology to be assessed free of ideological
bias. If industry says something is safe, then it has to
be safe. However, even the worst setbacks should not
be allowed to stop us from seeking an open dialogue.
And that should be the case whether the issue is electric mobility, nanotechnology or biotechnology. I don’t
mean to be trite here, but at the end of the day, life itself is perilous.
Bode: At least the Deepwater Horizon disaster has
directed massive attention to the fact that automobiles will remain linked to oil for many years to come.
As a consequence, we urgently need to reduce fuel
consumption.
Has Deepwater Horizon also been a disaster for
lobbyists—and did they mislead the U.S. government
by giving it a false sense of security?
Bode: The situation with lobbyists is a permanent catastrophe. Governments are already allowing business
to determine policy to a large extent—and this is happening at every level.
Engel: Mr. Bode, aren’t NGOs also lobbies?
Bode: Absolutely—we’re lobbyist organizations, no
doubt about it.
Engel: There’s nothing wrong with lobbying per se…
Bode: … you’re absolutely right. Constitutionally
speaking, there have to be lobbies because the government cannot make proper decisions by itself. A democratic government actually has an obligation to listen
to different interest groups, consider their proposals,
and then make decisions in the interest of the common
good. However, the lobbying power of NGOs is nothing compared to that of industry, with its political donations, privileged access to politicians, personal relationships with government officials, and threats to
eliminate jobs.
So what do you propose?
Bode: We have to stop deluding ourselves that an appeal to morality will cause companies to conduct business with sustainability in mind. What we need are
sustainability-minded entrepreneurs who also regard
themselves as good citizens. And I may be talking more
like a capitalist than you now, but what’s being delegated today to corporations, to so-called global responsibility, is customer fraud.
Engel: That doesn’t help much in terms of solving
problems.
Bode: You’re right—and that’s why you also need to
be extremely careful with noble claims such as “We
corporations are taking on global responsibility.” The
chemical industry cannot save the world! Sometimes
it’s better to set your sights a little lower.
13.09.2010 12:59:28 Uhr
D E B A T I N G 11
Dr. Engel, does this mean that you’re about to
take on a new responsibility?
Engel: To be completely open and personal here, I
did a lot of soulsearching while I was trying to decide
whether I should run for president of the German
Chemical Industry Association. I have a pretty busy
workday. I don’t suffer from boredom—we face a lot of
big challenges at the company. In the end, I decided to
make myself available because there are a lot of overlapping issues that are worth addressing. I’m taking on
this responsibility because I’m convinced we need to
make it clear to the public that Germany must remain
an industrial nation.
Bode: Is anyone questioning that?
Engel: Mr. Bode, you’d be surprised by the kinds of discussions we have to face these days…
Bode: …with whom?
Engel: With neighbors, employees, political parties,
and NGOs. For example, with regard to questions like:
Where are we planning to build new power plants in
the near future? What kind of plants will they be? What
type of infrastructure do we need to have? Anti-industry sentiment has grown in our country, but we nevertheless need to have manufacturing industries.
Bode: I’m entirely on your side here. Germany must
and should remain an industrial nation.
Engel: There’s also another point that’s important to
me: It’s time we took a balanced view of the opportunities and risks associated with technology. This applies to nearly everything we do every day, but it’s especially important in terms of the chemical industry.
There are a great many things whose continued development is worth fighting for—for example, biotechnology and nanotechnology. Of course there are examples
of where things have gone wrong, but the fact is that
the only way we can overcome the great challenges we
face is if scientists and engineers achieve technological progress. Yes, we also need to change the way people in our society behave and reach a new consensus
on our value priorities and the way we should live our
lives. But we also have to take into account the fact—as
we talked about before—that we won’t be able to keep
people in the emerging markets from having a television, a second car, or a steak dinner. So we need consensus on this matter as well. Yes, we see the risks, and
we understand that regulation is necessary—for example, we need to make sure that no one is seriously affected by our chemical production activities. The ef-
“And if we’re going to take
sustainability seriously over the
long term, we have to accept
the fact that fossil fuel resources
are finite” Klaus Engel
fect on people, the environment, and natural resources
should be as beneficial as possible. I plan to work on
that, but there’s no way I want to create the illusion
that we can maintain our prosperity, not to mention
increase it, without consuming resources and without risk. Making such a claim would be like promising
to square a circle.
So you are talking about an alliance of reason after all.
But what is the goal?
Engel: I want to help further develop and expand the
magic triangle between ecology, economy, and social
needs. For me, that means we need to talk to each other
without bias and with respect, as we have done in this
discussion. That’s how we learn from one another.
Bode: My goal is not to appeal to people to become
better human beings. Instead the important thing is to
shape progress in a way that leads to an honest consideration of various interests that allows governments to
make truly autonomous decisions. Ultimately, my vision is one of a democracy that actually functions the
way it should.
11_Evonik_02-10_EN 11
13.09.2010 12:59:40 Uhr
12 D E V E L O P I N G
German Chemicals
Take On the World
Today’s new markets lie on the other side of the globe from Europe. New players from China,
India, and the Middle East are moving onto the international chemicals stage. How is the
German chemical industry responding to the challenge? Evonik Magazine looks at the sector
TEXT MICHAEL KÖMPF, CAROLINE ZÖRLEIN
PHOTOGRAPHY: BASF SE
CHEMISTS ARE NETWORKERS: They link molecules to form long chains, bind carbon with fluorine, or
join aluminum atoms with nitrogen. Such detailed processes at the molecular level have their counterparts in
the chemical industry’s activities in the macrocosm of
the global economy. Practically no other industry has
as extensive an international network, or has played
such a pioneering role in globalization. Today, oil, natural gas, lithium, and phosphorus are shipped around
the world, as are their primary and intermediate products. These substances are then processed around the
globe into insulating boards, dashboards, medicines,
and batteries. Chemicals are a major part of our daily
lives. They’re with us when we brush our teeth, work
on our laptops, drive our cars, or take a painkiller to relieve a headache. The chemical industry is also a key
sector of the global economy. The special thing about
this sector is that its small and medium-sized companies
are seldom suppliers; they’re more likely to be customers of major corporations.
Germany’s chemical industry is ranked fourth in the
world, behind the U.S., China, and Japan. “Germany is
also the largest producer of chemicals in Europe, with
a share of 25 percent of total production,” says Dr. Utz
Tillmann, Director General of the German Chemical
Industry Association (VCI). Due to the economic crisis, the country exported “only” €123.2 billion worth of
chemicals in 2009, as compared to €139 billion in 2008.
More than 60 percent of Germany’s chemical exports
remain within the EU, where the largest recipients are
Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Some 12 percent
of the chemical exports are shipped to Asia to meet the
rising demand there. Whereas the production of basic
chemicals is handled by around 150 large companies,
the German chemical processing industry encompasses
some 1,900 small and medium-sized firms.
German chemical companies are still growing more
rapidly and profitably than their international rivals.
“Nevertheless, the pressure to adapt structures has
grown as a result of the economic and financial crisis,
and this pressure will significantly change the chemical industry landscape in the years ahead,” says Dr.
Wolfgang Falter, Managing Director of the AlixPartners GmbH consulting firm. Falter also predicts a significant shift of the focus of power in the chemical market: “We’re going to see a shift from the world’s leading
markets—North America, Western Europe, and Japan—
to the growth duo of the Middle East and Asia.” As an example, he cites the automotive industry, a key market
for the chemical sector. Whereas the demand for automobiles is basically stagnating in Western Europe, it is
growing rapidly in China and India. That’s why these
countries are becoming the location of choice for new
production facilities.
Where demand is growing
The number of new consumers in China and India who
are pushing up the demand for chemicals due to their
rising incomes is set to skyrocket over the next few
years. The situation is exactly the opposite in Europe.
“European populations are declining, which means that
fewer products that require chemicals, like cars and refrigerators, are being bought,” says Thomas Rings, a
partner at the A.T. Kearney GmbH consulting company.
However, demographic transformation also presents a
challenge to China, as no other emerging market is aging as rapidly as that country. In the Middle East, on the
other hand, a new and dynamic society is coming of
12_Evonik_02-10_EN 12
03.09.2010 13:18:08 Uhr
D E V E L O P I N G 13
BASF:
LUDWIGSHAFEN
Ludwigshafen is BASF’s largest
production location worldwide
Catalysis research is carried out at
the “Chemicals Research and
Engineering” competence center
at the Ludwigshafen location.
Laboratory Director Dr. Godwin
Mabande is one of the 33,000 employees at BASF Ludwigshafen.
The ten-square-kilometer site is
home to the company’s headquarters and the center of its research and production
13_Evonik_02-10_EN 13
03.09.2010 13:18:21 Uhr
BAYER: SHANGHAI
The plant in the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park
is Bayer’s largest foreign investment project
Bayer has a production facility for the
polycarbonate Makrolon at the Shanghai
(China) location. In the polycarbonate
color laboratory, the chemists Polo Zou (left)
and Jenny Yan (right) work on the color
chips made of Makrolon. These color chips
are used in quality control and when
new colors are being developed. Bayer has
approximately 21,600 employees in the
Asia-Pacific economic region
14_Evonik_02-10_EN 14
03.09.2010 13:18:37 Uhr
Trying to describe the German chemical industry as a whole is like trying to explain the range of
products in a large department store: There’s simply everything. In keeping with this analogy, you
can also say that the chemical industry even includes architects and construction companies—like
those who help build department stores. The German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) alone represents some 1,600 German chemical companies and German subsidiaries of foreign corporations,
whose areas of expertise range from the development of highly specialized additives to the planning
and construction of process engineering facilities. Plastics, medications, pesticides, creams, oils,
glues, paints, and detergents are also part of the industry’s portfolio. The list goes on and on—and the
competition in the international chemical sector is very fierce
Competition among the new
chemical-producing nations has begun
age. AlixPartners predicts that the share of global
demand for chemicals that is accounted for by China
(not counting the pharmaceutical or petroleum industries) will rise from the current 9 to 15 percent by 2020.
The firm’s experts also estimate that the Middle East’s
share of demand will rise from 4 to 12 percent during
the same period, while the figure for Western Europe
will fall from 25 to 18 percent. The demand for chemicals is in fact rising in Western Europe, but the markets
outside the region are simply growing much faster.
PHOTOGRAPHY: BAYER
In the passing lane
“Together with the establishment of extensive new production capacity, the cost benefits in the Middle East
will put substantial pressure on manufacturers of basic chemicals and plastics,” says Tillmann. The rapidly
growing companies in the Middle East region are exporting more of their products to China, and they’re
also moving into Western markets. They are taking full
advantage here of their proximity to sources of oil and
natural gas, as well as their large brand-new facilities.
According to AlixPartners, the Middle East alone will
expand the global market capacity for polyolefins such
as polyethylene and polypropylene (key raw materials
for the chemical industry) by eight percent by the end of
2010. The companies in this region are being helped by
the expansive economic policies of their governments.
The share of global economic activity that is accounted
for by the developing countries and emerging markets
will soon surpass that of the traditional industrialized
nations for the first time. The weighting for these aspiring nations will reach 57 percent by 2030, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD).
The future leaders of the global chemical market can already be clearly discerned today: “Cheap raw materials
and rapidly growing sales markets have provided companies in the East with a solid foundation for moving into
the global market,” says Falter. Relatively new players
from the Middle East and Asia, such as Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), and the Indian company Reliance Industries Limited have embarked on a path of
rapid growth and are on the verge of taking over the
top positions in the global chemical industry. “Companies that started out as petroleum processing firms later
moved into basic polymers and are now specialty chemical enterprises,” says Rings. These new global players
are also benefiting from state-of-the-art industrial facilities. “Although German plants have been optimized to
an extent that makes them world champions of energy
efficiency, many of them are 20 years old,” says Oliver
Rakau, an economist and chemical industry expert at
Deutsche Bank Research. “What’s more, factories in the
Middle East are being built right next to oil wells.” Major market advantages are also being achieved through
the extremely low raw material costs associated with
“stranded gas”—small natural gas fields for which the
construction of pipelines to consumer regions would
be unprofitable. On top of that, South America—especially Brazil—is now looking to advance further in the
global chemical club.
Still, most German companies have done their
homework very well. “In terms of growth and profitability, they’ve outperformed chemical companies in
the U.S., Japan, and the rest of Asia on the world market
and during the latest crisis,” says Falter, who also points
out that the German chemical industry has created
15_Evonik_02-10_EN 15
03.09.2010 13:18:52 Uhr
PHOTOGRAPHY: KARSTEN BOOTMANN
The German chemical industry
has done its homework
competitive revenue and cost structures over the
past 20 years. “The chemical sector increased its revenues by 57 percent to €176 billion between 1995 and
2008,” Falter reports. Companies have consistently
taken advantage of growth opportunities in international markets, thus stabilizing their positions in their
home markets, according to Falter. A further element of
their strategy is energy and resource efficiency. “Over
the past 20 years, the chemical industry in Germany has
reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 37 percent, despite doubling its production,” says Tillmann.
Major German companies have long since stopped
thinking in terms of nationality, as BASF, Bayer AG,
Linde AG, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Lanxess AG, Evonik
Industries AG, Wacker Chemistry AG, and others are
now focusing on attaining international technology
leadership in their respective fields. These days, they
not only generate most of their revenue abroad but are
also shifting their still balanced workforce numbers for
employees at home and abroad in favor of their growing international production locations.
Speaking at the 2010 BASF Annual Meeting, the
company’s CEO, Dr. Jürgen Hambrecht, predicted that
“50 percent of the future growth of the chemical industry will take place in Asia.” BASF, the leading chemical
company in the global rankings, has therefore set itself ambitious goals, such as achieving annual growth
in the Asia-Pacific region that is two percentage points
higher than that of the market and generating 70 percent of its regional revenues with local production. This
will require capacity expansion, and to this end BASF
will invest $1.4 billion in the expansion of its Nanking
facility in China. Bayer AG—Germany’s second-largest
chemical company in terms of revenues—is also stepping
up its activities abroad. Between 2006 and 2009, the
company increased its workforce in the BRIC countries
(Brazil, Russia, India, and China) by more than 40 percent, to 15,000. Bayer also plans to invest €2.1 billion
between now and 2012 solely for capacity expansion at
its MaterialScience subgroup in China. In addition, the
company is investing €100 million in a pharmaceutical
research center in Beijing.
Step by step into global markets
The German presence is thus growing throughout the
dynamic Asian region—and Evonik is no exception. In
Shanghai, for example, Evonik has invested approximately €250 million in a facility for producing methyl
methacrylate (MMA), which is used to manufacture
PLEXIGLAS. The plant is part of a networked installation at a huge chemical park on the outskirts of Shanghai. “Despite the economic crisis, we made the secondlargest investment in our company’s history because we
believe in China’s future,” explains Evonik’s CEO, Dr.
Klaus Engel. Medium-sized companies aren’t idly standing by either: “Small and medium-sized companies are
now specializing in specific products and thus focusing
on a smaller group of customers,” says Tillmann. One
approach that usually works is for small companies to go
global through their relations with globally active major
customers in their home market. This helps them avoid
teething problems and financial losses.
The chemical sector is generally well prepared to
cope with the increasing global competition. The German chemical industry’s solid position is largely due to
the structural transformation that has taken place over
the past few years. Throughout most of their histories,
German chemical companies were highly integrated
16_Evonik_02-10_EN 16
03.09.2010 13:19:04 Uhr
EVONIK: THE NETHERLANDS
Almost 300 employees at five locations worldwide work on products
and solutions which are marketed under
the brand names COLORTREND and CHROMA-CHEM
The Evonik Business Unit Coatings & Additives comprises a
total of 21 production locations and technology centers
worldwide. Patrick Peeters is employed by the Colorants
Product Line. He works in Maastricht (The Netherlands)
in the Color Service Department, which develops the color
recipes for the paint and coatings industry. Evonik Colortrend
B.V. has approximately 100 employees in Maastricht
17_Evonik_02-10_EN 17
03.09.2010 13:19:16 Uhr
MERCK: MEXICO CITY
Products for the Latin American pharmaceuticals market are
manufactured in the Mexican capital
The quality of the pharmacological raw materials
is controlled in the Manufacturing Conditioning
of Injectable Substances & Liquids department.
Chemists Estela Estrade and David Arias check the
quality in the Raw Materials Laboratory. Merck
has 1,300 employees in Mexico
18_Evonik_02-10_EN 18
03.09.2010 13:19:35 Uhr
PHOTOGRAPHY: MERCK
Today’s specialists
don’t necessarily need oil
entities that covered the entire value chain—from
raw materials such as ethylene and naphtha to pharmaceutical agents and bulk plastics. Two processes then
began to occur around 20 years ago. The first was horizontal specialization, which saw major chemical companies with strong roots in their respective home markets transform themselves into global leaders in their
segments that are continually expanding their core areas of expertise. The other development was vertical
deconstruction—i.e. the outsourcing of units and services such as logistics, maintenance, human resources,
data processing, and even customer relations. Complex
internal corporate structures were thus reorganized
with the goal of creating flat and virtual value creation
networks. Both processes would ultimately help make
German companies successful around the world. Companies today are focusing more and more on attaining or
maintaining market leadership in individual segments.
Wacker Chemistry is a good example: Although it’s only
ranked 12th in the German chemical industry in terms
of revenue, the company is number three in the world
for silicone production—and the world market leader for
silicone for building protection applications.
“Horizontal integration isn’t over yet, however,” says
Tillmann, who points out that takeovers, acquisitions,
and spinoffs are still common in the submarkets. This
trend will continue in the future. “After a decline in takeovers last year, we’re once again seeing more active buyers and sellers on the market,” says Dr. Volker Fitzner, a
chemical industry expert at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The pressure to consolidate varies among the market
segments, however. “Whereas the agrochemical sector
is almost completely consolidated, there’s a high level of
consolidation pressure in cosmetic industry raw mate-
rials, for example,” says Rings. A recent example of this
is provided by the BASF takeover of Cognis. Rings expects Chinese companies to get more involved in mergers and acquisitions in the future: “The only surprising
thing is that this isn’t already happening on a large scale.
But it’s possible that China first wants to consolidate its
own highly fragmented specialty chemicals industry—
and there’s a lot of movement in that market now.”
Independence through specialization
Specialization and specialty chemicals are the buzzwords today—and Evonik has gotten the message as well.
“Our plan for Evonik is to focus on the specialty chemicals sector,” says Engel. Such a focus allows the company to more strongly disengage itself from the risks associated with fluctuating raw material prices, and from
oil in general. “Specialized expertise is becoming much
more important, whether it’s attained through innovative technologies or greater access to selected industrial value chains,” Rings explains. This requires bettertrained personnel, as Tillmann points out: “Knowledge
is the raw material we’re using to shape the future of our
society, and countries that invest more in their innovative capability end up doing better economically.”
Knowledge, education, and research: It’s all about
intellectual raw materials, which are especially important for the success of countries with few resources,
such as Germany. However, this source of raw material
could also dry up quickly. “The shortage of young engineers and natural scientists will grow over the next few
decades,” says Rings, “so we need to take countermeasures here as well.” The focus on specialized markets
requires even more, however: “The important thing
is to have a well-functioning infrastructure,” says
19_Evonik_02-10_EN 19
03.09.2010 13:19:51 Uhr
With the global trade in chemicals continuing to grow and the international division of labor
increasing, German companies are at the forefront of the industry's development
The
Netherlands
11.4
Belgium 18.0
UK
7.5
Rest of Europe
4.9
Poland
€7.3 billion in sales by German chemical
companies from local production
11.4
France
4.8 Austria
Exports to the
rest of Europe
27.6
- Laundry, personal care products
9.0
Total value 2008
139.2
ALL FIGURES IN BILLIONS OF EUROS
Exports make up an increasing
share of sales
Chemical products from Germany are increasingly
developing into a leading export. With a growth rate of
nearly ten percent per year over the last four years,
exports have grown more than twice as fast as the German
chemical industry's total sales. In 1990 less than every
second metric ton was shipped abroad, but now exports
account for more than 80 percent of total production.
As the world’s largest exporter of chemical products,
Germany will continue to benefit in the future from the
dynamism of the global chemistry markets.
414.6
40
40
37.4
1990
2000
2008
30
300
27.9
2002
200
ALL FIGURES IN PERCENT
2002
2004
2004
2006
2006
20
2008
2008
Food, tobacco processing
Publishing, printing sector
10
Total sales in billions of euros
0
0
100
SHARE OF FOREIGN SALES AS A PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL SALES
200
300
350
F
EV
T 9
E L O P M E N 199
M
T
O
Research locations
BASF Bayer Evonik
Foreign direct investment by the German chemical-pharmaceutical industry is an important metric for its
globalization. In 2008 they totaled €44.4 billion. The greatest investments were made in the
USA (€10.1 billion), France (€3.6 billion), Switzerland and Belgium (€2.9/€1.9 billion). China was in
seventh place, with €1.5 billion. Germany is also an attractive site for investments by foreign chemical
companies. The largest investor in Germany is the Netherlands (€13.9 billion), followed by the UK and
France (€5.3/€4.5 billion).
Exports to
Australia/Oceania
€1.0
billion
Ranking of the German chemical industry by sales
Exports to Latin
America
Investments by the
chemical-pharmaceutical industry
Australia/Oceania
Exports to Africa
€2.2
Economic activity abroad
NAFTA 26.6%
Rest of
Europe
10.1%
EU-27
44.5%
Foreign
direct
investment
by German
chemical
companies
Latin
America
2.6%
Asia
14.6%
Oceania
0.7%
Africa
0.9%
SOURCE LARGE MAP: VCI; ILLUSTRATIONS: FLORIAN PÖHL, PICFOUR
30
SOURCE: STATISTISCHES BUNDESAMT, IKB
50
Other automotive
manufacturing
Mechanical engineering
Medical, I&C technology
Automobile
manufacturing
Radio, television, commuChemical industry
nications technology
Manufacturing of power generation equipment
Paper
Metal production
Rubber
Glass, ceramics
Metal products manufacturing
Furniture
O
Foreign sales and sales of various industry sectors in 2009
70
Africa
Latin America
billion
A comparison with other sectors, in particular,
also underscores the very important role that
foreign business plays for the chemical industry.
Foreign business accounts for a share of about
60 percent, making it about as important to the
chemical industry as it is to the automobile
and mechanical engineering industries. Many
other sectors—including the glass and ceramics
industry, foodstuffs or metal products manufacturing—are not nearly as globally oriented
as the chemical industry and concentrate more
strongly on the German market.
1.1
FRO
€3.5
Sectors in comparison
Asia
The leaders among German
chemical companies are
increasingly developing their
research and development
capacities abroad. Evonik, for
instance, employs a workforce
of about 2,300 people
in research and development
at more than 35 locations
around the world.
Between 1999 (initial values) and 2008 (final values),
German chemical exports have generated very impressive
growth rates, in some cases of more than 100 percent
German sales
400
D
The German chemical
industry is going global
543.7
60
20
1982
1.9
Worldwide sales
500
Where the leaders research
7.9
0.6
600
80
6.2
8.4
Worldwide sales of
fine and specialty chemicals
SOURCE: DESTATIS, VCI
The export ratio is growing
Other
0
billion
Company
2009 sales in
€ billion
50.7
104,779
World’s largest chemical group with a broad
product portfolio
2 Bayer AG
31.2
108,400
Pharmaceuticals, polymers, crop protection
3 Henkel AG &Co.
KGaA
13.6
51,361
Detergents and cleansers, cosmetics and personal
care, adhesives and sealants, surface finishing
4 Evonik Industries AG
13.1
38,681
Specialty chemicals, energy, real estate
5 Boehringer Ingelheim
GmbH & Co. KG
12.7
41,534
6 Linde AG
11.2
47,731
Industrial gases, mechanical engineering
7 Merck KGaA
7.8
33,062
Pharmaceuticals and chemicals
8 Beiersdorf AG
5.7
20,346
Consumer goods, skin care
9 Lanxess AG
5.1
14,338
Polymers/rubber, basic and fine chemicals
3.7
15,618
Silicones, polymers, fine chemicals
11 K + S AG
4.3
15,922
Specialty and standard fertilizers, salt
2.6
5,572
12 Cognis GmbH*
Specialty chemicals for detergents and cleansers,
cosmetics, foodstuffs
504
China
Japan
398
187
183 Germany
137 France
German chemical products worldwide
Pharmaceuticals, animal health
10 Wacker Chemie AG
2008 total sales
in billions of euros
USA
Employees Fields of activity
1 BASF SE*
The world’s largest
chemical nations
Although the Asian nations, and in particular China, are making appreciable
gains, Europe and the USA are still clearly the largest sales markets for
German chemical products. With a total of €18 billion, Belgium remains the
largest single market, however. Just how rapidly China's hunger for chemicals
is increasing can be seen in the growth that was recorded between 2004
and 2008. During this short period, the value of German chemical exports
doubled, from €1.5 billion to €3 billion, surpassing the result achieved by
Japan (€2.8 billion).
91 Brazil
88 UK
80 Italy
68 South Korea
58 The Netherlands
54 India
Total world
EU-27
2,535
770
SOURCE: FERI, VCI
- Fine and specialty chemicals
Enzymes
SOURCE: ASF, BAYER, EVONIK
23.5
39.3
SOURCE: VCI/”DIE WELT”, JUNE 21, 2010
- Polymers (plastics)
10
Fats and oils
billion
S
21.5
Foodstuffs and feed
20
€15.4
Eight countries account for 71.5% of Germany’s
exports to the EU-27. Exports to any of
the remaining countries are valued
at less than €2.5 billion
RT
- Petrochemicals and derivatives
*North American Free Trade Agreement between the
USA, Canada, and Mexico
Bulk chemicals, polymers
P
10.1
Pharmaceutical active substances
30
The most populous countries—China, Indonesia, and India—are among the fastgrowing chemical-producing countries in the world. China has shined, posting
average growth rates of 12.8
Chemical production growth rates 2003–2008
percent between 2003 and
12.8 China
2008; for India this figure
12.6 Indonesia
12
is 8.6 percent. Another indication of the growing impor8.6 India
8
tance of China is the fact
that an increasing number of
2.8 Germany
companies, including BASF,
4
3.4
DuPont, Rhodia, and Dow,
Worldwide average
1.7 USA
have opened their own re0.3 Japan
0
search facilities in the country.
Exports to Asia
X
- Basic inorganic chemicals
North America/
NAFTA nations*
8
91.7
billion
0
Chemicals
Vegetable raw materials
China, the challenger
E
47.5
40
2005
2010
billions of euros
EU-27
€88.1
0
Pharmaceuticals
SOURCE: VCI
Germany exported chemicals and pharmaceuticals with a total value of €139 billion in
2008. This included nearly €92 billion worth
of goods from the chemical industry, with
fine and specialty chemicals accounting for the
lion’s share due to their high value-added.
Important fields for the future are energy
efficiency, environmental technology,
alternative fuels, biotechnology, and nanotechnology. Germany enjoys a particularly
good starting position in nanotechnology.
The chemicals Germany ships to
destinations around the world
Exports to EU-27
billion
Basic chemicals are increasingly being produced
where raw materials such as oil and gas are
found. Germany will focus more intensively on
the production of specialty products, which require a higher level of expertise and make better
value-added possible. With tailored products,
the German chemical industry has good opportunities to contribute to areas such as energy and
resource efficiency. Even more important in this
regard are networks with customers, which generate precisely targeted innovations. The future
will not be only about new materials; systems
with high functionality will play the central role,
with the synthesizing power of nature being harnessed with increasing frequency through the
use of white biotechnology.
SOURCE: VCI
What the world needs
€14.3
Biofuels
billion
2
The trend toward fine
and specialty chemicals
€14.7
9.0
Italy
Spain
4.9
Chemical processes can be optimized through the use of enzymes
or microorganisms. Living cells such as bacteria or yeasts can be
used as tiny "chemical factories.” White biotechnology is playing an
increasingly important role not only in the production of fine
and specialty chemicals, but also for feed additives and agricultural
and pharmaceutical precursors. In addition, it has the potential
to replace fossil raw materials with renewables. White biotechnology
is therefore an extremely interesting field for the German chemical
industry. Worldwide sales of white biotechnology are expected to total
approximately €125 billion in 2010.
O
Exports to North
America/NAFTA
nations
Worldwide sales of white biotechnology products
SOURCE: FERI, VCI
63.3 percent of Germany’s chemical exports go the EU-27. This corresponds
to goods with a value of more than €88 billion for 2008. The most important trading
partners are our direct neighbors: Belgium, followed by France, the
Netherlands, and Italy. Germany was the world’s largest exporter for the sixth time
in a row in 2008, benefiting greatly from its proximity to Eastern Europe.
The soft touch
SOURCE: DEUTSCHE INDUSTRIEVEREINIGUNG
BIOTECHNOLOGIE (DIB)
The Globalization of the German
Chemical Industry
EU-27
The largest customer is the European Union
*Contingent upon anti-trust approval, BASF will acquire Cognis by the end of 2010
SOURCE: VCI
E_21-24_Innenklapper 2-3
03.09.2010 14:58:24 Uhr
With the global trade in chemicals continuing to grow and the international division of labor
increasing, German companies are at the forefront of the industry's development
The
Netherlands
11.4
Belgium 18.0
UK
7.5
Rest of Europe
4.9
Poland
11.4
France
4.8 Austria
Exports to the
rest of Europe
27.6
- Laundry, personal care products
9.0
Total value 2008
139.2
Exports make up an increasing
share of sales
Chemical products from Germany are increasingly
developing into a leading export. With a growth rate of
nearly ten percent per year over the last four years,
exports have grown more than twice as fast as the German
chemical industry's total sales. In 1990 less than every
second metric ton was shipped abroad, but now exports
account for more than 80 percent of total production.
As the world’s largest exporter of chemical products,
Germany will continue to benefit in the future from the
dynamism of the global chemistry markets.
414.6
40
40
37.4
1990
2000
2008
30
300
27.9
2002
200
2002
2004
2004
2006
2006
20
2008
2008
Food, tobacco processing
Publishing, printing sector
10
Total sales in billions of euros
0
0
100
SHARE OF FOREIGN SALES AS A PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL SALES
200
300
350
F
EV
T 9
E L O P M E N 199
M
T
O
Research locations
BASF Bayer Evonik
Foreign direct investment by the German chemical-pharmaceutical industry is an important metric for its
globalization. In 2008 they totaled €44.4 billion. The greatest investments were made in the
USA (€10.1 billion), France (€3.6 billion), Switzerland and Belgium (€2.9/€1.9 billion). China was in
seventh place, with €1.5 billion. Germany is also an attractive site for investments by foreign chemical
companies. The largest investor in Germany is the Netherlands (€13.9 billion), followed by the UK and
France (€5.3/€4.5 billion).
Exports to
Australia/Oceania
€1.0
billion
Ranking of the German chemical industry by sales
Exports to Latin
America
Investments by the
chemical-pharmaceutical industry
Australia/Oceania
Exports to Africa
€2.2
Economic activity abroad
NAFTA 26.6%
Rest of
Europe
10.1%
EU-27
44.5%
Foreign
direct
investment
by German
chemical
companies
Latin
America
2.6%
Asia
14.6%
Oceania
0.7%
Africa
0.9%
SOURCE LARGE MAP: VCI; ILLUSTRATIONS: FLORIAN PÖHL, PICFOUR
30
SOURCE: STATISTISCHES BUNDESAMT, IKB
50
Other automotive
manufacturing
Mechanical engineering
Medical, I&C technology
Automobile
manufacturing
Radio, television, commuChemical industry
nications technology
Manufacturing of power generation equipment
Paper
Metal production
Rubber
Glass, ceramics
Metal products manufacturing
Furniture
O
Foreign sales and sales of various industry sectors in 2009
70
Africa
Latin America
billion
A comparison with other sectors, in particular,
also underscores the very important role that
foreign business plays for the chemical industry.
Foreign business accounts for a share of about
60 percent, making it about as important to the
chemical industry as it is to the automobile
and mechanical engineering industries. Many
other sectors—including the glass and ceramics
industry, foodstuffs or metal products manufacturing—are not nearly as globally oriented
as the chemical industry and concentrate more
strongly on the German market.
1.1
FRO
€3.5
Sectors in comparison
Asia
The leaders among German
chemical companies are
increasingly developing their
research and development
capacities abroad. Evonik, for
instance, employs a workforce
of about 2,300 people
in research and development
at more than 35 locations
around the world.
Between 1999 (initial values) and 2008 (final values),
German chemical exports have generated very impressive
growth rates, in some cases of more than 100 percent
German sales
400
D
The German chemical
industry is going global
543.7
60
20
1982
1.9
Worldwide sales
500
Where the leaders research
7.9
0.6
600
80
6.2
8.4
Worldwide sales of
fine and specialty chemicals
SOURCE: DESTATIS, VCI
The export ratio is growing
Other
0
billion
Company
2009 sales in
€ billion
50.7
104,779
World’s largest chemical group with a broad
product portfolio
2 Bayer AG
31.2
108,400
Pharmaceuticals, polymers, crop protection
3 Henkel AG &Co.
KGaA
13.6
51,361
Detergents and cleansers, cosmetics and personal
care, adhesives and sealants, surface finishing
4 Evonik Industries AG
13.1
38,681
Specialty chemicals, energy, real estate
5 Boehringer Ingelheim
GmbH & Co. KG
12.7
41,534
6 Linde AG
11.2
47,731
Industrial gases, mechanical engineering
7 Merck KGaA
7.8
33,062
Pharmaceuticals and chemicals
8 Beiersdorf AG
5.7
20,346
Consumer goods, skin care
9 Lanxess AG
5.1
14,338
Polymers/rubber, basic and fine chemicals
3.7
15,618
Silicones, polymers, fine chemicals
11 K + S AG
4.3
15,922
Specialty and standard fertilizers, salt
2.6
5,572
12 Cognis GmbH*
Specialty chemicals for detergents and cleansers,
cosmetics, foodstuffs
504
China
Japan
398
187
183 Germany
137 France
German chemical products worldwide
Pharmaceuticals, animal health
10 Wacker Chemie AG
2008 total sales
in billions of euros
USA
Employees Fields of activity
1 BASF SE*
The world’s largest
chemical nations
Although the Asian nations, and in particular China, are making appreciable
gains, Europe and the USA are still clearly the largest sales markets for
German chemical products. With a total of €18 billion, Belgium remains the
largest single market, however. Just how rapidly China's hunger for chemicals
is increasing can be seen in the growth that was recorded between 2004
and 2008. During this short period, the value of German chemical exports
doubled, from €1.5 billion to €3 billion, surpassing the result achieved by
Japan (€2.8 billion).
91 Brazil
88 UK
80 Italy
68 South Korea
58 The Netherlands
54 India
Total world
EU-27
2,535
770
SOURCE: FERI, VCI
- Fine and specialty chemicals
Enzymes
SOURCE: ASF, BAYER, EVONIK
23.5
39.3
SOURCE: VCI/”DIE WELT”, JUNE 21, 2010
- Polymers (plastics)
10
Fats and oils
billion
S
21.5
Foodstuffs and feed
20
€15.4
Eight countries account for 71.5% of Germany’s
exports to the EU-27. Exports to any of
the remaining countries are valued
at less than €2.5 billion
RT
- Petrochemicals and derivatives
*North American Free Trade Agreement between the
USA, Canada, and Mexico
Bulk chemicals, polymers
P
10.1
Pharmaceutical active substances
30
The most populous countries—China, Indonesia, and India—are among the fastgrowing chemical-producing countries in the world. China has shined, posting
average growth rates of 12.8
Chemical production growth rates 2003–2008
percent between 2003 and
12.8 China
2008; for India this figure
12.6 Indonesia
12
is 8.6 percent. Another indication of the growing impor8.6 India
8
tance of China is the fact
that an increasing number of
2.8 Germany
companies, including BASF,
4
3.4
DuPont, Rhodia, and Dow,
Worldwide average
1.7 USA
have opened their own re0.3 Japan
0
search facilities in the country.
Exports to Asia
X
- Basic inorganic chemicals
North America/
NAFTA nations*
8
91.7
billion
0
Chemicals
Vegetable raw materials
China, the challenger
E
47.5
40
2005
2010
billions of euros
EU-27
€88.1
0
Pharmaceuticals
SOURCE: VCI
Germany exported chemicals and pharmaceuticals with a total value of €139 billion in
2008. This included nearly €92 billion worth
of goods from the chemical industry, with
fine and specialty chemicals accounting for the
lion’s share due to their high value-added.
Important fields for the future are energy
efficiency, environmental technology,
alternative fuels, biotechnology, and nanotechnology. Germany enjoys a particularly
good starting position in nanotechnology.
The chemicals Germany ships to
destinations around the world
Exports to EU-27
billion
Basic chemicals are increasingly being produced
where raw materials such as oil and gas are
found. Germany will focus more intensively on
the production of specialty products, which require a higher level of expertise and make better
value-added possible. With tailored products,
the German chemical industry has good opportunities to contribute to areas such as energy and
resource efficiency. Even more important in this
regard are networks with customers, which generate precisely targeted innovations. The future
will not be only about new materials; systems
with high functionality will play the central role,
with the synthesizing power of nature being harnessed with increasing frequency through the
use of white biotechnology.
SOURCE: VCI
What the world needs
€14.3
Biofuels
billion
2
The trend toward fine
and specialty chemicals
€14.7
9.0
Italy
Spain
4.9
Chemical processes can be optimized through the use of enzymes
or microorganisms. Living cells such as bacteria or yeasts can be
used as tiny "chemical factories.” White biotechnology is playing an
increasingly important role not only in the production of fine
and specialty chemicals, but also for feed additives and agricultural
and pharmaceutical precursors. In addition, it has the potential
to replace fossil raw materials with renewables. White biotechnology
is therefore an extremely interesting field for the German chemical
industry. Worldwide sales of white biotechnology are expected to total
approximately €125 billion in 2010.
O
Exports to North
America/NAFTA
nations
Worldwide sales of white biotechnology products
SOURCE: FERI, VCI
63.3 percent of Germany’s chemical exports go the EU-27. This corresponds
to goods with a value of more than €88 billion for 2008. The most important trading
partners are our direct neighbors: Belgium, followed by France, the
Netherlands, and Italy. Germany was the world’s largest exporter for the sixth time
in a row in 2008, benefiting greatly from its proximity to Eastern Europe.
The soft touch
SOURCE: DEUTSCHE INDUSTRIEVEREINIGUNG
BIOTECHNOLOGIE (DIB)
The Globalization of the German
Chemical Industry
EU-27
The largest customer is the European Union
*Contingent upon anti-trust approval, BASF will acquire Cognis by the end of 2010
SOURCE: VCI
E_21-24_Innenklapper 2-3
03.09.2010 14:58:24 Uhr
20 S H A P I N G
The New Mantra
More and more pharmaceutical companies are restructuring in today’s globalized world.
They’re no longer doing it all themselves, and outsourcing has become a strategic process
TEXT CHRISTOPH PECK
FABULOUS FORECASTS: Worldwide sales in the
Research, clinical development, and marketing and sales:
These are the areas that a growing number of pharmaceutical companies define as their core areas of expertise. Developing a new medication can take up to ten
years and cost up to €1 billion. And then there remains a
period of ten years on average for patent-protected marketing. The solution to this challenge is that companies
should no longer do everything themselves. Outsourcing is the industry’s new mantra. “Outsourcing,” says
Dr. Hans-Josef Ritzert of Evonik Industries AG, “has become a strategic process for many pharmaceutical companies.” The Head of the Exclusive Synthesis and Amino
Acids Business Line isn’t worried about the pharmaceutical industry trend toward outsourcing the production
of intermediate products and active substances—because
that’s exactly what he provides.
PHOTOGRAPHY: EVONIK INDUSTRIES (3), STEFAN WILDHIRT
pharmaceutical industry will more than double by 2020
to roughly US$1.3 trillion, according to a study that was
recently carried out by the auditing and consulting firm
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). And the company is
not the only one making this prognosis. Current demographic developments and economic growth, particularly in the E7 nations—China, India, Brazil, Russia, Indonesia, Mexico, and Turkey—are setting the pace of
this change, reports PwC. But the experts say that these
predictions come with a caveat: This boom will benefit
only those pharmaceutical manufacturers who succeed
in adapting to radically changed conditions. The manufacturers' research and marketing activities must be
realigned and more strongly oriented toward medical
needs, the experts insist.
Tippecanoe Laboratories in Indiana, USA. Evonik took over the entire
production location from the US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company
At Evonik’s Hanau facility the employees who work in exclusive
synthesis wear special protective garments
03.09.2010 13:35:25 Uhr
S H A P I N G 25
Evonik Rexim S.A.S. Ham in France is the world leader in
the production of amino acids and keto acids
A pharmaceutical active substance is produced in many
reaction stages, which can be roughly divided into three
sections. First the standard intermediates are produced.
From these are derived the advanced intermediates, and
they in turn are synthesized into the actual active substance. And what’s exclusive about it? “Exclusive synthesis simply means made-to-order production that is commissioned by a customer,” Ritzert explains. And here he
has a few tools at his disposal, ranging from lab-scale synthesis development to commercial production in China,
Europe, and the USA. “This enables us to offer our madeto-order production to customers in the places where
it can be most efficiently and most effectively applied,”
says Ritzert.
The complete package
A further milestone in the Business Line’s development
was the acquisition of Tippecanoe Laboratories in Lafayette, Indiana (USA). In late 2009 Evonik took over the
entire production location from the American pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company, thus significantly
expanding its technological basis. The processes used
there are based on the requirements of the GMP norms
that are required by law. The GMP is a special quality
standard stipulated by the pharmaceutical industry and
lawmakers. What’s more, the team has many years of experience in the production of high potency drugs, which
are state-of-the-art medications that can be used in much
lower doses. The team passed the stringent audit of the
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) once again in
March 2010.
At the end of 2010 the location will be integrated
into the Business Line’s global production and marketing network, making it “far stronger,” says Dr. Klaus
Engel, Chairman of the Executive Board of Evonik Industries. And in China, Evonik built a new plant for ac-
Evonik’s Nanning location in China. The Evonik research team
trains Chinese employees like the one shown here
tive substances production in Nanning, Guangxi province, in only 15 months. With the German locations in
Hanau and Dossenheim, an additional location in China,
and a facility in France for the production of pharmaceutical amino acids, the Business Line has become firmly
established in the market as a leading supplier. And,
Ritzert says, it has at its disposal “a network of production locations with a breadth that makes it very competitive, because we have the needed critical scale, a broad
technology platform, and experienced employees. The
customers know that their know-how is in safe hands.
The locations complement one another ideally and enable us to intelligently operate our network of assets.”
Entrusting entire stages of the value chain to outside companies requires a high level of reliability. The
companies demand a lot from their preferred suppliers.
Quality, performance, flexibility, and guaranteed delivery must all be flawless. From Ritzert’s point of view,
the role of a preferred supplier goes far beyond just contract production. “Even though we have been concentrating more on the advanced intermediates and active
substances in recent years, we know the entire process
and we can offer the complete range of synthesis technologies. That’s why we begin talks with our customers
as early as possible in the value chain—for example, by
collaborating with them to jointly develop the synthesis
process for the active molecule created in the lab.” Intensive research into new synthesis processes is being
conducted, often together with pharmaceutical companies. And brainstorming together doesn’t stop after the
market launch. For instance, it continues when production processes are optimized so that efficiency gains can
be passed on to the customers. “We support the product
throughout its whole life cycle,” Ritzert says. As a result,
Exclusive Synthesis does more than deliver a product; it’s
a full-service business.
03.09.2010 13:35:31 Uhr
EVONIK: SLOVAKIA
Slovenská L’upcǎ is one of four Evonik locations
manufacturing amino acids
The amino acids threonine and tryptophane
are produced for animal feed by the Business Unit Health & Nutrition in Slovakia.
Evonik is the only supplier in the world to
manufacture all four important amino acids.
Soňa Slobodníková is one of the approximately 170 employees in Slovenská L’upča
03.09.2010 13:19:55 Uhr
Innovation remains success
factor number one
Rakau. A solid foundation is provided here by Germany’s more than 60 chemical manufacturing plants
and 38 chemical parks. The industry utilizes a uniquely
German supply system concept with links to the European pipeline network. The system, which transports
petroleum, natural gas, naphtha, and basic chemicals
such as ethylene, propylene, and hydrogen, is superior
to those currently in place at many locations in China.
The problem, as Falter recently pointed out in an interview in CHEManager, is that “there are too many chemical facilities in Germany with insufficient capacity utilization and noncompetitive cost structures.” Companies
will also have to do their homework in this regard if they
wish to satisfy internal and external customers with
their facility services.
PHOTOGRAPHY: STEFAN WILDHIRT
Cooperating with other industries
Still, industry experts believe that innovation remains
the number one factor for success. “If German chemical companies want to be successful over the long term,
they need to be at the forefront of innovative developments,” Tillmann explains. That also means they have
to make sensible use of new technologies such as green,
white, and red biotechnologies, as well as nanotechnology. Many sector experts criticize what they perceive
to be an anti-innovation climate in Germany. “Speed is
becoming more and more important for the successful
market launch of innovations,” Rings explains. “Only
those companies that quickly position themselves on
the market can move into newly formed markets and
shape the value chains.” Engel also believes that the reservations regarding new industrial projects pose a danger: “Industrial production and innovations are indispensable to our prosperity. The bank crisis may cost
us billions—but opposition to industry can cost us our
future.”
Still, with total R&D expenditures of €8.3 billion,
the chemical industry was third in the German rankings
in 2009, behind the automotive industry and the electrical engineering sector. Such investments are establishing a good foundation for the future. Innovative capability could be increased even further in Germany if
different industrial sectors cooperated more closely on
development and market launches. For example, German chemical companies could work with the automotive industry to take on a leading role in the electric mobility sector. The government could help out by granting
tax breaks for research into state-of-the-art technologies, rather than giving away money with cash-forclunker programs. This is also the view of Dr. Gunter
Festel, owner of Festel Capital, a Swiss investment and
consulting firm. Festel had the following to say in an article published by the magazine Chemical Business: “In
terms of research and development, Germany will remain the location of choice for German chemical companies for quite some time.” And perhaps the leader in
global chemical innovation as well.
S U M M A RY
The German chemical industry has emerged from the
economic crisis in good shape. However, the development
of global business remains the biggest challenge, because
German companies are increasingly competing with aspiring
firms from Asia and the Middle East. German companies
are focusing on their core business areas and on specialty
chemicals. Industry experts believe that the pressure to adapt
industry structures will grow.
•
03.09.2010 13:20:05 Uhr
The Renaissance of the Chemical
A rethinking process has started in Germany. The chemical industry used to spark fierce debates, but today
GRAPHIC BY PICFOUR, WITH THANKS TO: ACTION PRESS
THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY SEEMS to generate
more contradictory feelings and fierce debates than
any other. The number of Europeans who regard this
industry favorably just about matches the number of
those who watch it with critical eyes. In Germany as
well, 35 percent of the public still has negative feelings about the chemical industry. On the other hand,
61 percent of Germans now regard the chemical industry favorably—that’s the highest percentage in the
11 European countries investigated in a recent survey. By contrast, in France, the second-largest European location for the chemical industry, only about 36
percent of the public believes the chemical industry is
a good thing.
Actually, the chemical industry seems to have been
struggling with image problems ever since its birth in
the last third of the 19th century. In 1900, Dr. Wilhelm
Bersch concluded in his book Moderne Chemie (Modern Chemistry) that “only one branch of the modern
natural sciences has always been treated like a stepchild—chemistry.” He attributed this neglect, among
other reasons, to the fact that “chemistry has for centuries been treated as an occult science.”
Only a few years ago, the chemical industry was often regarded only as a source of danger that was poisoning human beings and the environment and was
“out of control”—even though chemicals have for a long
time been an indispensable part of modern life, as well
as a reliable safeguard of German jobs and prosperity.
Today, by contrast, it seems that a more balanced debate about the risks and opportunities inherent in the
chemical industry is once again possible. Its image has
improved somewhat, especially in Germany, and even
the Greens political party recognizes that the chemical
industry is one of the key sectors of the German economy. In fact, the German chemical industry includes
approximately 2,000 companies, about 90 percent of
which are small or midsized.
With more than 400,000 employees, it is one of
Germany’s largest employers and a substantial force
in the German labor market. What’s more, the chemical industry is well known for its highly qualified and
well-paid jobs. The German chemical industry’s leading position among its global competitors is clearly
reflected, among other things, in its positive export
balance. The German chemical industry is the backbone of the European chemical industry, accounting for about 25 percent of total sales in the European
Union. On a global scale, it’s one of the so-called big
four. These statistics are not due to chance—they are
the result of an exemplary combination of outstanding
basic research, highly motivated employees, and intensive efforts on the part of the industry to promote research and innovation.
Sustainable products
Today, the German chemical industry is the country’s
third-largest research-oriented industry, spending
more than €8 billion annually on research and development. This makes it one of the pace-setting drivers of innovation. Between 1999 and 2009 alone, the
German chemical industry increased its research activities by 23 percent.
In recent years it has not only conducted research to
create new products and services, but also completed
its entry into the field of sustainable production. This
can be seen in the fact that between 1990 and 2008 it
boosted its production by 58 percent while at the
28_Evonik_02-10_EN 28
03.09.2010 19:34:11 Uhr
D E S I G N I N G 29
Industry
people are talking about the multitude of solutions it offers for future problems. An essay by Günter Verheugen
Former EU Commissioner
Günter Verheugen
pleads for an honest discussion
of future perspectives
for the chemical industry
29_Evonik_02-10_EN 29
03.09.2010 19:34:23 Uhr
400,000 employees in Germany
Chemistry
h
Research expenditures up 23% between 1999 and 2009
[ C5H8=2] n
[[CC5H
=2]
5H88=2]nn
[ C5H8=2] n
[ C5H8=2] n
[ C5H8=2] n
“In the past, governments and the media have dealt
with the chemical industry almost exclusively from the
standpoint of risk prevention”
€8 billion spent
annually on
research and
development
same time reducing its energy consumption by 18
percent and its emissions by an impressive 37 percent.
Is it this transformation that explains the solid public
approval of the chemical industry in Germany?
Alternatively, it may be because we have become
more rational and we realize that neither the dental
care we require now and in the future, cancer medicines, nor any of the other products we need for safeguarding the future of our societies, would be conceivable without the analysis of materials and their
conversion processes—in other words, without chemistry. Or the reason may be that the behavior of the
chemical industry has gradually changed, from a refusal to discuss risk issues publicly toward a more deliberate acceptance of social responsibility—something
that cannot be dictated by law but must be shouldered
by the companies themselves.
To me, in any case, it seems that there is a growing
consensus that Germany needs its chemical industry
in the 21st century as it has in the past. This makes it
possible to have a more open and honest discussion of
the opportunities and potential, but also the indubitable risks, that are associated with this industry and to
jointly develop strategies and solutions.
In the past, governments and the media have dealt
with the chemical industry almost exclusively from the
standpoint of risk prevention. In the process, hardly
any attention has been paid to the fact that the chemical
industry is primarily an enabling industry. It is increasingly becoming a problem-solver, and with its products
it ensures that modern goods can be produced in the
first place in all the other industrial sectors. Along the
entire industrial value chain, the contribution of the
chemical industry is indispensable. A country like Ger-
many, which has a very broadly based industrial sector, would therefore be making a grave error if it did
not do everything possible to ensure that chemical facilities remain in the country and are able to continue
their development.
In recent years there have been two major political initiatives that will have an impact on the future of
the chemical industry not only in Germany but in the
entire European Union. Both of these initiatives originated in Europe. The first one concerns the European
regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). REACH
may be the most demanding piece of legislation that
the EU has ever passed; in any case, it’s certainly the
most complex one. There’s certainly room for argument concerning the details, and it will definitely be
necessary to correct some errors when REACH is revised, according to plan, in 2012. But the general direction in which it is heading is the right one. If REACH
is responsibly implemented by everyone involved, it
should make the overall conditions for the producers
and users of chemical products in Europe more stable
and predictable.
The second initiative concerns the high-ranking
group appointed by the European Commission to confer about the future of the European chemical industry. Due to the cooperation of representatives from
the fields of politics, business, science, and civil society within this group, people in the EU today recognize
that the chemical sector is essential for the economies
of Europe. In a very difficult process of dialogue, the
representatives of industry and public interest groups
moved closer together and arrived at an astonishingly
broad consensus. The fact that in July Belgium, which
Production up 58% between 1990 and 2008
30_Evonik_02-10_EN 30
03.09.2010 18:50:56 Uhr
D E S I G N I N G 31
Energy consumption down 18% between 1990 and 2008
holds the current Presidency of the Council of the European Union, conducted a major conference on the
future of the European chemical industry shows that
we are moving in the right direction.
A multitude of challenges confront us at the beginning of the 21st century. They include the need to make
hunger and disease in most parts of the world a thing
of the past and open up reliable prospects of future development and prosperity for most of the world’s population; the need to protect our environment and continue the struggle against climate change; the need to
ensure the safety of industrial plants and the technological infrastructure; and the need to put a stop to international organized crime. Only by exhausting all the
potential of modern chemistry will it be possible for us
to master these challenges. It is precisely for this reason that chemistry, in the words of Prof. Gérard Férey
of the French Academy of Sciences, is a “science of life
and of hope.”
GRAPHIC BY PICFOUR, WITH THANKS TO: ACTION PRESS
There’s no such thing as “zero risk”
But in order to live up to this definition we have to become more free of ideology. It’s no use to condemn the
chemical industry’s high share of energy consumption, which can reach 60 percent in the case of certain
products. What we must focus on is to reduce energy
consumption to the minimum that is physically and
technologically feasible. It’s also no use to condemn
the production of chlorine because of its generation of
toxic products as long as we work with chlorine in areas such as our public swimming pools. However, what
we must insist on is that our companies have state-ofthe-art emission purification processes so that the air
we breathe stays clean. Nor can we go on allowing ourselves to believe in “zero risk,” which does not exist in
real life. What we need instead are strategies for clearly
assessing and evaluating risks—the same kinds of risks
we tolerate when it comes to medications.
There is no technology that has only positive or only
negative aspects. That’s why no technology should be
utterly condemned from the very start—as we did for a
long time with biotechnology, thus almost missing our
opportunity to participate in its development. What
are we going to do with the realization that the world’s
food supply, especially that of the poorest nations, will
in all probability depend on genetic engineering? This
being so, is it still morally and ethically responsible to
completely reject it out of hand? Wouldn’t it rather be
our duty to participate in the worldwide research being done in this field, even though it may ultimately result in the well-founded conclusion that this technology cannot deliver the hoped-for solutions?
We won’t make any progress in the cutting-edge
chemistry of the 21st century if we block off areas of
research and promote taboos, because this segment of
chemistry is still in its infancy. Where will we find the
raw materials of the future? We will find them in the
earth, insofar as we have access to it. And we will certainly find them through recycling as well as through
new materials, in other words alternative materials—
something we’re very much pinning our hopes on. But
many of these materials, for example nanomaterials,
are still waiting to be developed. The cars of the future will need such new materials, and people who
place their hopes in the electric car will also need the
battery of the future in order to be mobile. And such a
battery has not yet been developed to the stage of series production.
The important thing is that the German chemical
industry does not miss this opportunity, because this
new industrial revolution, which must bring with it the
transition to a resource-efficient economy that produces a minimum of CO2, will radically shake up the
present-day structure of our industry. We don’t know
how much of the basic chemicals sector that we know
today will survive. What we do know is that a technological leader can survive in the fast-growing markets
of today and tomorrow, and that it will reap profits not
only by safeguarding local jobs but also by exporting
progress. But in order for that to happen, the chemical
industry needs the right governmental regulations,
especially for the many small and midsized companies that depend on a policy that focuses on their interests. We will also have to ensure that there’s more
fairness in international competition, because neither
Germany nor Europe alone will be able to bring about
the necessary structural transformation in the worldwide chemical industry.
If we address this issue with a sense of proportion,
we can demonstrate that it’s worthwhile to invest in the
environment and in sustainable production processes—
in jobs, in new eco-friendly products and services, and
in the promotion of our natural environment. In order
to succeed in this endeavor, it’s essential that we continue our alliance with science, which has been the secret of our past success.
In addition, in this century as well, the German
chemical industry needs people with science degrees
and enthusiasm. However, it also needs such people to
be aware of their responsibility for society as a whole,
so that research and innovation do not stagnate and we
continue on our course toward a sustainable economy.
That applies to managers as well as employees. And finally, the chemical industry also needs us—a critical
general public and a critical discourse—so that it continues to be forced to present its results to the public.
The International Year of Chemistry 2011, which
was declared by the United Nations, offers us a full
range of opportunities to achieve all that. What this
means is that the renaissance of the chemical industry is already well under way in Germany, but the best
is yet to come.
61% of
Germans
approve of the
chemical
industry
(but 35% still
have a negative
attitude)
Emissions
down 37%
31_Evonik_02-10_EN 31
03.09.2010 15:18:29 Uhr
32 S H A P I N G
Chemistry Gives Automobiles Wings
PHOTOGRAPHY: MCLAREN AUTOMOTIVE
New materials and technologies are ushering in a new age of automotive design, and permanently changing
32_Evonik_02-10_EN 32
03.09.2010 15:15:58 Uhr
S H A P I N G 33
the way we look at mobility
TEXT MARKUS HONSIG
MCLAREN MP4-12C The super sports car looks like
an earthbound flying machine. The world’s first seriesproduced carbon fiber monocoque builds a bridge between
the aviation and automotive industries
33_Evonik_02-10_EN 33
03.09.2010 15:16:08 Uhr
34 S H A P I N G
PORSCHE 918 SPYDER Extreme hybrid with a carbon fiber mono-
LOTUS EXIGE Weight reduction of 75 kilograms—with help from Evonik.
coque, a V8 engine, two electric motors, 718 hp, and three liters/100 km
Lower weight means better driving dynamics and lower fuel consumption
Plastic, carbon fibers,
PHOTOGRAPHY: OBS/PORSCHE, STEFAN WILDHIRT, VOLKSWAGEN AG, BMW GROUP
LONGSTANDING EXPERTS like Walter Röhrl know
every kilogram counts when you want to achieve outstanding handling and performance. That’s why Röhrl
removes everything he believes is not absolutely necessary in the cars he works on, like the Porsche 964 RS, the
Audi A2, and VW bus models. He takes out rear benches,
panels and covers in the engine compartment and interior, spare wheels, and heater blowers. “It makes a difference whether a car weighs 1,200 or 1,150 kilos,” says
Röhrl, who conducts highly specialized test drives for
Porsche. Every kilo taken away increases the precision
and efficiency of braking, steering, and accelerating. Responses to pedal and steering movements are more accurate and nimble, braking distances get shorter, and
cornering speeds faster. Lighter vehicles also consume
less fuel. Röhrl not only has gifted driving hands but also
a well trained sense of cost control and environmental
protection. It’s therefore no surprise that this rally legend is very pleased by the trend toward lightweight automotive design, “even though it shouldn’t necessarily
have required hybridization and electrification to make
it happen,” as he points out.
Still, better late than never—and the time has now
come for consistent advanced lightweight design, especially as CO2 emissions are directly linked to vehicle weight: 100 kilograms more or less translates into
0.3 liters higher or lower consumption per 100 kilometers. Lightweight design is also important because there
aren’t many other levers left for enhancing vehicle efficiency. It comes down to aerodynamics, drive systems,
and weight. Moreover, the electric cars for future mobility now being developed by every automaker already
carry a heavy load: their battery. The rule of thumb is
that every kilometer of increased range means at least
one kilo of additional weight. Lightweight design is thus
becoming a core discipline in automobile development.
As a result, plastic composites will also become more
important, and account for a greater proportion of vehicle weight. This applies to interior equipment and outer
shells, induction pipes, rear windows, headlights, and
high-tech adhesives that can replace bolts, rivets, and
welds. Evonik Industries has demonstrated the potential involved here many times—in the Golf V (–371 kilograms), for example, and in the already quite lean Lotus Exige (–75 kilograms). In June, Evonik opened a new
lightweight design studio in Darmstadt to present specific applications for the new synthetic materials.
The vehicle body is one of the most effective levers
for implementing a radical automotive diet. Although
steel will remain the material of choice for some time,
alternatives are already on the horizon. Manufacturing
processes for carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (abbreviated to CFRP or CFP) appear to have advanced to a stage
that would allow production at a reasonable cost. Vehicle architectures are also changing, as consistent lightweight construction requires new designs, while small,
simple, and light electric motors are giving designers
more freedom than ever before—and vice versa. Basically, what belongs together is now coming together.
Material competition
The latest example here is BMW’s Megacity Vehicle,
which is scheduled for market launch in 2013. The electric car, designed mainly for urban driving, is a model for
the future of lightweight construction. The car consists
of two clearly separate and independent modules: the
“Drive Module,” which integrates the battery, drive system, structure, and crash components into a com-
34_Evonik_02-10_EN 34
03.09.2010 15:16:17 Uhr
GOLF V Evonik demonstrated the lightweight design potential for plastics in
a Golf V: –371 kilograms—a diet on a grand scale
and chemicals are making cars lighter than ever before
BMW MEGACIT Y VEHICLE BMW is planning the world’s first mass production
vehicle to be equipped with a carbon fiber body that will fully offset the additional
weight of the electric car’s battery. The Megacity Vehicle will hit showrooms in 2013
35_Evonik_02-10_EN 35
03.09.2010 15:16:29 Uhr
36 S H A P I N G
CARBON FIBER MONOCOQUES The perfect basic cell for
extreme lightweight design and use of state-of-the-art plastics
PHOTOGRAPHY: WOO-RAM LEE, MCLAREN AUTOMOTIVE, ARTEGA AUTOMOBIL GMBH, 2010 SMART TECHNOLOGIES ULC
The new era of automobile design is upon us—and we’re
pact chassis unit; and the “Life-Module,” which basically consists of an occupant cell made of carbon fiber (as
CRP is often referred to). This simple and flexible design
may not only permanently change the automobile as we
know it but also the production processes used to make
it. The two modules can be built independently from one
another and then joined together quickly and easily practically anywhere in the world. BMW enhanced its carbon
fiber expertise in the fall of 2009 by establishing a joint
venture with the SGL Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of carbon products. “The MCV will
be the world’s first mass production vehicle with a carbon occupant cell,” says Dr. Klaus Draeger, BMW Board
of Management member responsible for Development.
“Together with our LifeDrive architecture, the car will
enable us to open a new chapter in automotive lightweight design, as it allows us to offset virtually all of the
extra weight typical of electric vehicles. And here we’re
talking about 250 to 300 kilograms”
The MCV will be preceded by a completely different type of vehicle—the new 600-hp MP4-12C super
sports car from McLaren. Along with its outstanding performance (0–200 kilometers per hour (km/h) in under ten seconds; top speed of well over 300 km/h), this
vehicle stands out through a carbon fiber monocoque
that weighs less than 80 kilograms and is thus 25 percent lighter than a comparable aluminum chassis. Despite this lean design, the monocoque offers unbeatable
torsional rigidity and stability as well as safety that can’t
be matched. What’s new here is that the McLaren monocoques are being produced in relatively high numbers
(plans call for 4,000 units per year), but at a relatively
low cost. In fact, the 12C monocoque can be built for less
than 10 percent of what it costs to produce a hand-made
36_Evonik_02-10_EN 36
PEUGEOT
MOVILLE The ultramobile one-seater
of the future not only
drives on the power
of magnets but can also
communicate with
other vehicles
03.09.2010 15:16:39 Uhr
S H A P I N G 37
ARTEGA GT The niche sports car has an aluminum chassis and a plastic body. This lightweight
design can be implemented by both small and large-scale manufacturers
SMART ELECTRIC DRIVE Small, light, and efficient, it
offers the best conditions for drive system electrification
a part of it
Formula 1 cockpit. This is the first time such a vehicle
will be manufactured in a true series production process,
which is set to begin next year. The monocoques will be
built by Carbo Tech, an Austrian company specializing in
high-end carbon fiber components. “We’ve automated
what was previously a manual production process, and
we now manufacture highly integrated components,”
says Carbo-Tech CEO Karl Wagner. Preparatory work
on new measures for further automation has long been
under way—and “the McLaren 12 C is the ideal interim
step here.”
In principle, a monocoque offers the perfect foundation for aggressive lightweight design—and not just
for sports cars. Because the monocoque fulfills practically all structural requirements, the design of the extensions added to it can focus solely on weight reduction
and aerodynamic efficiency. With the 12C, this translates into aluminum for the hood and roof, and glass-fiber reinforced plastics for all other body parts. In absolute numbers, the McLaren 12C will weigh around 1,300
kilograms—much less than an Audi R8 with an aluminum
space frame body. McLaren is promising that the model
will be the world’s most efficient sports car, with CO2
emissions well below 300 grams per kilometer.
Prof. Frank Henning calls the McLaren 12C “an
earthbound flying machine”—not just because of its outstanding acceleration but also because it’s something of
a missing link between the aviation industry, which has
extensive experience with the manual processing of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics, and the automotive industry, which is well-versed in the industrial processing of
steel. The latter still has a lot to learn about new materials. Henning is deputy director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology, as well as the profes-
sor for Lightweight Technologies at Karlsruhe Institute
of Technology. “The key questions will be which processes make the most sense for CFRP in series production and what sort of stress-related dimensioning of the
components it will be possible to deduce as a result,”
he explains. In addition, “a consistent lightweight approach means automobiles and their components must
be designed with as clear a specific application in mind
as possible.”
Reducing weight
Numerous examples illustrate what’s possible when
man-made fibers are used in an appropriate and targeted
manner in automobiles. Some are still in the prototype
stage, but probably not for long. The recently presented
Artega GT is not a prototype, but instead a lightweight
sports car already on the market. It has an aluminum/
steel chassis, a space frame, and the first-ever body to be
made exclusively of the plastic polyurethane. The latter
was developed in cooperation with former BASF subsidiary Elastogran. Such cars can only be produced in
small batches “because tool costs are low as compared
to steel,” says Peter Müller, Chief Operating Officer of
Artega Automobil, which was founded in 2006 in Delbrück. Another development is the T.27 electric car from
Gordon Murray, the former chief designer at McLaren.
The vehicle weighs less than 700 kilograms (including
the battery), and the completely new production process used to build it seeks to reinvent not only the automobile but also the way it’s manufactured. The chassis,
including all drive system and crash components, is prefabricated; the plastic body is simply put on over it. The
Heuliez Mia was originally a French development, but
has recently been taken over by the German energy
37_Evonik_02-10_EN 37
03.09.2010 15:16:48 Uhr
38 S H A P I N G
PHOTOGRAPHY: MATUS PROCHACZKA, SIPA PRESS, MINDSET HOLDING AG, TOYOTA DEUTSCHLAND GMBH, EVONIK INDUSTRIES
MIA A creation of star designer Murat Günak, this electric car with a
bolted plastic body weighs only a little over 600 kilograms
services provider Conenergy and pharmaceutical
entrepreneur Professor Edwin Kohl. Thanks to a plastic body, the Mia weighs just a little over 600 kilograms.
Like the Mindset electric car, whose development has
been temporarily halted, the Mia was designed by a star
of the industry—Murat Günak, a former chief designer
for Peugeot and Volkswagen, who has now moved outside established circles to bring to life his vision of the
car of the future.
What such examples teach us—besides the fact that
the future belongs to lightweight vehicles—is that when
the use of electric motors begins reducing the importance of highly complex mechanical engineering, and
new materials do the same with expensive steel processing techniques, exciting new opportunities arise for
small and flexible manufacturers. These companies can
stimulate a market that is characterized by a lot of inertia through the introduction of new ideas, concepts, and
vehicles. The prospects are without a doubt exciting in
every respect.
MINDSET Another Günak creation: The vehicle’s avant-garde electric-car
design features a plastic body and a PLEXIGLAS roof
liter, 136-hp engine, the lean racing machine accelerates from 0–100 km/h in 6.5 seconds, has a top speed
of more than 200 km/h, and consumes no more than
6.3 liters of fuel per 100 km under normal driving conditions. It’s hard to imagine another vehicle that delivers
so much sports car performance without having to feel
guilty about the environment—especially when you consider the unbeatable enjoyment that a “lightweight” like
the Elise has to offer. It’s therefore no coincidence
The magic formula: Multi-material design
Over the last few years, we have been told that the law
governing the progress of automotive development dictated that cars would become heavier and heavier. One
company, however, refused to accept this seemingly indisputable law, and was surprisingly left alone by the
competition : Lotus. The latest successful example of its
approach is the new Elise, which weighs only 876 kilograms. This low weight is due, on the one hand, to very
restrictive equipment and, on the other, to a consistently
implemented lightweight design that includes an aluminum/steel chassis, carbon fiber crash boxes, and a glass
fiber body. Although equipped with only a small 1.6-
38_Evonik_02-10_EN 38
03.09.2010 15:17:03 Uhr
S H A P I N G 39
TOYOTA VENZA Multi-material design. Use of a clever material mix has
enabled Lotus Engineering to reduce the vehicle’s weight by 38 percent
The Future Will Be Light
Evonik’s new lightweight design studio in Darmstadt
Chemical industry products will
become increasingly important
in future automotive development
processes. Evonik is presenting
practical examples of such chemical applications—for aviation and
solar technologies as well—at its
new lightweight design studio
in Darmstadt. “We want to be able
to demonstrate clearly to our customers and project partners what
our products can do,” says Rudolf
Blass, head of the Automotive &
Surface Design industry segment
in the Acrylic Polymers Business
Line at Evonik Industries. Blass is
referring here to products such
as Rohacell, Vestamid, and PLEXI-
GLAS—basic materials for intelligent lightweight design. This issue is not only attracting growing
interest among automotive supplier companies but “also among
end customers—the automakers, where interest is being expressed by both engineering and
design departments.” The most
fascinating products here include
PLEXIGLAS glazing, which can
reduce weight. “Our development people are working on customized, adapted solutions—such
as those for car side windows—
that employ different material concepts and offer different types of
functionality.”
MAGNETIC VEHICLE
CONCEPT In the future, a
magnetic drive system linked to an
electric motor will be installed in
a vehicle that travels on roads also
equipped with magnetic fields.
The result will be a reduction of as
much as 50 percent in vehicle weight
39_Evonik_02-10_EN 39
In the lightweight design studio: Rudolf Blass (left) and Gregor Hetzke, head
of Performance Polymers, present the PLEXIGLAS windshield for the Lotus Exige
03.09.2010 15:17:15 Uhr
40 S H A P I N G
Major Flirt
PHOTOGRAPHY: 2010 LOTUS ELISE
Chemistry is playing an ever-greater role in
automobiles, and the chemical and automotive
industries are facing new challenges as
a result. Is it love or a marriage of convenience?
LOTUS ELISE The sleek sports car with a dead weight of only
876 kilograms served as a model for the electric Tesla Roadster
that Elise serves as the basis for what is currently the
hottest item on the electric car market: the Tesla Roadster. Lotus’ development subsidiary, Lotus Engineering,
used a Toyota Venza—an SUV currently unavailable in
Germany—to perform calculations that led to the realization that lightweight design can be employed for vehicles other than sports cars. The company developed
scenarios for significantly reducing the weight of a large
vehicle at a reasonable cost. The scenario for 2020 envisions an impressive weight reduction of 38 percent,
assuming a total weight excluding drive system components of 1,290 kilograms, at a cost increase of only three
percent. The body alone, currently made solely of steel,
could be made 161 kilograms lighter by lowering the
number of individual components and utilizing an intelligent material mix (37 percent aluminum, 30 percent
magnesium, 21 percent composites, seven percent highstrength steel). This magic formula for applied lightweight construction is known as multi-material design.
Once you lower body weight, you can, for example, also
redimension the entire chassis area—and permanently
reverse the trend toward heavier vehicles.
S U M M A RY
The future of automotive design belongs to lightweight
construction. Lower weight means lower fuel consumption
and a longer range for electric vehicles.
The importance of the chemical industry for automobile
production is therefore continually increasing. New
technologies and materials are giving designers more
freedom than ever before—and also requiring them
to completely rethink the principles behind automobiles
and their production processes.
•
TEXT CHRISTIANE OPPERMANN
THE FUTURE belongs to lightweight electric vehicles
powered by high-performance batteries. More than one
million of these electro-mobiles are expected to be on
the road in Germany in just a decade. These sleek machines will be made of high-quality materials produced
by the chemical industry. Instead of being driven by loud
engines with four, six, eight, or 12 cylinders, they will
be powered by a battery that feeds energy to a noiseless electric drive system. The core expertise of automakers will then no longer be required: Fine tuning of
combustion engines with their piston rods, camshafts,
and cylinder heads will become superfluous, as will 125
years of experience in the optimization of engine output
and fuel economy—not to mention the development of
countless assembly steps that reach their pinnacle at the
assembly line, where the glorified industrial-romantic
marriage between chassis, engine, and bodyshell once
took place.
The quantum leap in drive system technology will
reshuffle the playing field on global markets. The automotive industry will be joined by a new player—one
it paid very little attention to in the past: the chemical
industry. Even today, chemicals are a part of every vehicle, and the European automotive industry procures
five percent of the total volume of chemicals produced
in the European Union. Companies like BASF, Lanxess,
and Solvay now generate more than 10 percent of their
revenues through business with automakers. Still, the relationship between the industrial partners has suffered,
according to a chemical industry survey conducted in the
fall of 2009 by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants in cooperation with the European Chemical Marketing and
Strategy Association (ECMSA). This estrangement became clear during the recent economic crisis after auto
industry sales in Europe fell by 11 percent in 2009. Because automakers and their suppliers began depleting
their inventories to gain liquidity, the sales decline had
a much stronger impact on manufacturers of plastics,
paints, rubber, textiles, and similar products.
In addition, the chemical industry’s business with
the automotive sector yielded low margins because the
automakers and original equipment manufacturers are
subject to price pressures themselves. According to the
consultants from Berger, the drop in margins was accel-
40_Evonik_02-10_EN 40
03.09.2010 15:17:23 Uhr
S H A P I N G 41
The true heroes
The “vale of tears” has passed and the chemical industry
is back on its feet again, having increased sales by 16 percent in the first half of 2010. “Positive developments have
now reached our sector,” Dr. Ulrich Lehner, president of
the German Chemical Industry Association, said at the
organization’s half-year press conference in July. Specialist firms in the widely diverse chemical industry can be
particularly optimistic about the future. Such specialists
include manufacturers of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRPs), which are already used in aircraft production. These companies are very much in demand among
automakers as business and discussion partners. Daimler, for example, is now cooperating with the world’s
leading carbon fiber producer, Japan’s Toray Industries.
Carbon fiber plastics are up to 50 percent lighter than
steel and aluminum and are extremely impact resistant.
They are also expensive, however, as a kilo of carbon
costs around €15, while the same amount of steel costs
only one euro or so. Mass automobile producers continue to rely on high-strength steel, and even Audi plans
to stick with aluminum for the time being. Still, it makes
good business sense for the automobile manufacturers
and their suppliers to maintain direct contact with chemical companies. That’s because even with conventional
designs, savings potential can be exploited through the
use of modern materials, like PLEXIGLAS for glazing,
mirrors, and interior trim, as well as new-generation adhesives like Evonik’s Dynacoll/Dynapol, whose bonds
are just as stable as the welds or rivets that have been
used to date. Hard foams like ROHACELL are lighter than
steel or aluminum, but can withstand the same stresses,
41_Evonik_02-10_EN 41
if not more. However, the true heroes in the most important mobility segment of the future will be manufacturers of powerful energy storage units—the hearts of the
new electric vehicles. The capacity and volume of these
units will determine how far customers can travel with
their electric cars. There are now around half-a-dozen
of these specialists around the world with the capability
of building batteries that meet the tough requirements
of putting an extremely high storage capacity into a relatively small space, and delivering not only a long service life of more than a decade but also reliable stability
in the event of a crash. It’s not only the weight of the batteries that make them the biggest hurdle when it comes
to electric-car production but also their price. After all,
the battery for a small urban electric vehicle will likely
cost around €10,000 just by itself.
The Evonik subsidiary Li-Tec Battery GmbH is one
of the companies on the cutting edge of developments
here. Li-Tec is the only German manufacturer of such
batteries in a high-tech market otherwise consisting of
a half-dozen Korean and Japanese firms. Li-Tec has also
been working with a high-profile partner for the last two
years: Daimler AG, whose CEO, Dieter Zetsche, explains
the reason for the partnership as follows: “We are convinced that Li-Tec is the leading supplier of lithium-ion
technology.” In line with this assessment, Daimler has acquired a 49.9 percent stake in the company. That number
speaks for an equal partnership—and the Daimler-Evonik
deal could mark the dawn of a new era for the chemical
industry. As a major supplier of key components, Li-Tec
will now also help shape the development of e-mobility.
The two partners still have to get used to their new roles,
which require that they learn to plan and talk with one
another. Indeed, those who try to do too much too soon
risk a “war of the roses.”
Scenes from a marriage
Only close partnerships ensure success on the automotive market
IV. Common
value chain
Increase in
cooperation
III. Businesscase driven
II. Strategy
focus
SOURCE: „FUSING THE VALUE CHAINS“ BY
ROLAND BERGER STRATEGY CONSULTANTS
erated by new competitors from the emerging markets
of the Middle East and Asia. The new capacity in the industry thus began to exceed demand. The consultants
believe that more than anything else, differences in corporate strategies put a huge strain on relations between
automakers, their main suppliers, and chemical companies, with the latter seeking to achieve a high level of
product standardization, as well as longer product cycles, in order to fully utilize their capacities. The automakers, on the other hand, plan according to their model
strategies, and demand constant innovation and shorter
product cycles.
These conflicts persisted in the past because the parties refused to talk to one another—like partners in a dysfunctional marriage. The Berger study quoted a divisional director of a European chemical manufacturer as
follows: “If we were to have direct discussions with original equipment manufacturers, we’d run into trouble
with our direct customers.” Still, new initiatives like the
National Platform for E-Mobility now require a change of
thinking on both sides, as well as a greater willingness to
engage in discussion. Greatly improved economic conditions are also facilitating a rapprochement.
I. Manufacturer
integration
0. Focus on
direct buyers
Today
6–12 months
12–24 months
> 24 months
The current strategy among automakers in the USA, Japan, China, and Europe is to
build vehicles tailored to customer requirements. However, the Japanese and
Europeans will have an edge when it comes to the establishment of a common value
chain for manufacturers and suppliers in the future
03.09.2010 18:56:09 Uhr
42 E X P E R I E N C I N G
The Battle of the Backyard
Many Germans immediately get up in arms whenever an industrial project is being planned—even if
the plans call for a biogas facility or wind turbine. A report on an intensifying conflict
TEXT KLAUS JOPP PHOTOGRAPHY CATRIN MORITZ
THINGS HAVE QUIETED DOWN in Schlenke, a former residential community that slumbers silently in the
morning sun. Back in the 1950s, 146 rental apartments
and 29 family homes were built here in close proximity to the shaft of the Brassert Mine in western Marl, between huge waste heaps and the Marl Chemistry Park.
The Schlenke community was originally built as a temporary solution for housing the coal miners of the Brassert neighborhood, and it was no longer needed after the
mine was closed in the early 1970s. But none of the residents wanted to move away—not even ten years ago,
when the first discussions were held about expanding the
Marl Chemistry Park to the west into areas that had long
been earmarked for this purpose. The Schlenke community stood in the way of the industrial park’s expansion, but Germany’s laws were continually amended until
the emissions standards and the regulations for the protection of residential property had become so strict that
companies were even prevented from building some production facilities on their own premises. The dispute with
the Schlenke residents lasted about ten years, until the
Marl city council finally changed the regional utilization
plan in March 2010. After years of wrangling, the area is
now again available for industrial use, as was originally
planned, and the empty houses are scheduled to be torn
down for the industrial park by the end of this year.
The former inhabitants have found new homes in the
Gartenstadt neighborhood of Marl’s Drewer-Süd district.
“We compensated the inhabitants for changes they had
made to their homes and paid for the move. The plots of
land were provided by a predecessor firm of Evonik Immobilien GmbH,” says Uta Heinrich, a lawyer and former
mayor of Marl who played a key role in ensuring that the
westward expansion of the industrial park is now within
reach. Volkhard Czwielong, who has been working at Infracor GmbH for about ten years, also strove tirelessly to
make the expansion possible. A subsidiary of Evonik Industries AG, Infracor is a key element of the new Site Services Organization, which combines Evonik’s chemicalsrelated services.
A special combination
Czwielong heads the site development and geodata management units at Infracor, which operates the chemistry
park. The industrial park is located at the northern edge
of the Ruhr region, next to the Lippe River. Its area of
6.5 hectares makes it one of the largest integrated facilities in Germany, encompassing more than 900 buildings,
100 production facilities, and 55 kilometers of roads.
Thirty companies use the Marl Chemistry Park’s infrastructure and services, which can be summed up in impressive figures: Besides the roads, the industrial park has
100 kilometers of tracks, a harbor at the Wesel-Datteln
Canal, 1,200 kilometers of pipelines, 30 kilometers of
pipe bridges, 70 kilometers of canals, three power plants,
and two sewage treatment plants. Such locations are in
great demand in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries because the combination of facilities, companies,
and employee experience and expertise creates many
advantages in areas such as energy efficiency and product supply. “We still have unoccupied plots of land on
our premises, but the largest property available for construction covers only 20,000 square meters. Potentially
world-scale facilities need between 50,000 and 100,000
square meters,” explains Czwielong.
Uta Heinrich has also given the industrial park’s expansion her unequivocal support, even though she faced
an uphill battle. “My party pushed through a city
42_Evonik_02-10_EN 42
03.09.2010 14:45:14 Uhr
E X P E R I E N C I N G 43
Uta Heinrich, a former
mayor of Marl, and
Volkhard Czwielong
from Infracor GmbH
support the expansion of
the Marl Chemistry Park
43_Evonik_02-10_EN 43
03.09.2010 14:45:18 Uhr
PHOTOGRAPHY: PICTURE ALLIANCE/DPA (2)
44 E X P E R I E N C I N G
The construction of the world’s largest coal-fired monobloc
burner for the E.ON power plant in Datteln is very controversial
A building permit has been issued for the planned highway
bridge across the Moselle (montage), but criticism continues
council resolution requiring all of Schlenke’s residents to agree to a move before they could be relocated.
My fellow city council members from the Christian Democratic Party passed this resolution in the knowledge that
it would be impossible to reach an amicable settlement
with about 20 percent of the inhabitants.” But after Heinrich was reelected as an independent in local elections
in 2004, the Marl city council passed a positive resolution allowing the westward expansion to be started in
2005. The Christian Democrats on the city council voted
against the expansion, while the Social Democrats, the
Free Democrats, and the Marl Citizen’s Union were in favor of it. The mayor then tipped the scales with her vote,
which pitted her against her former fellow party members. “If you’re talking to potential investors at the industrial park and they ask what the residential community is
doing over there, you can’t just tell them that we’ll decide
the matter in three to five years. If you do that, chemical
companies will just go elsewhere,” says Heinrich.
Protests, objections, and lawsuits
In late 2008 the Higher Administrative Court in Münster
removed the last obstacles to the expansion by rejecting
the suit of the Schlenke community’s last inhabitant and
stating that its decision could not be appealed. The judges
ruled that the city of Marl had a legitimate interest in safeguarding manufacturing jobs and that it could therefore
relocate the inhabitants of Schlenke, by force if necessary.
The court also stated that the community was not built
so that its inhabitants could live in pristine natural surroundings—it was built to house mine workers, but it was
no longer needed for that purpose. Despite her success,
Uta Heinrich was not reelected in the next local election.
“The media agitated against me endlessly. Luckily my job
as a lawyer makes me independent, or I could have never
put up with so much hostility,” she says.
These days industrial and infrastructure projects are
always accompanied by protests, objections, and protracted legal disputes. “Although industrial production
and innovations are indispensable to our prosperity, we
indulge ourselves in the luxury of letting lose a hail of
objections and complaints against almost every new industrial and infrastructure project,” says Dr. Klaus Engel, CEO of Evonik. Michael Vassiliadis, Chairman of the
Mining, Chemical and Energy Industrial Union (IG BCE),
also warns against the growing hostility toward industrial
projects. “We’re facing a new situation in which people
no longer debate matters objectively, but instead resist
projects with an almost religious fervor,” says Vassiliadis, who calls on lawmakers to restrict the participation
rights of professional objectors.
Throughout Germany, resistance is particularly intense against construction of new coal-fired power
plants. The environmental organization Friends of the
Earth Germany (BUND) is therefore delighted that 11 of
31 proposed plants have already been successfully scuttled. One of the most controversial projects is Block 4
of the E.ON power plant in Datteln, just a few kilometers from the Marl Chemistry Park. Construction of the
world’s largest coal-fired monobloc burner with a net
output of 1,055 megawatts began in 2007. The facility
would consume 20 percent less fuel than the previous
generation of power plants. Over €1.2 billion is to be
invested in the facility. In exchange for building the big
new power plant, E.ON plans to shut down older facilities in Datteln (Blocks 1 to 3) and in other parts of the
Ruhr region. In September 2009 the Higher Administrative Court in Münster ruled that the building permit
for the power plant was invalid even though work on it
was by then well advanced. The court ruled that the city
of Datteln should have chosen a different location for the
power plant. In June 2010 the regional government rejected a petition by BUND to have the construction work
stopped completely. E.ON can therefore continue to build
the boiler house and the turbine hall, but not external facilities such as the coal and ammonia storage buildings.
Cases similar to the one in Datteln can be found
throughout Germany. As a result, the German Association for the Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) recently warned that increased use of renewable energy
sources could suffer setbacks, although they are being
advocated as alternatives to coal- and gas-fired power
plants. “Without new grids, there won’t be any growth
in the use of renewable energy sources,” says Hildegard Müller, Chair of the BDEW Executive Board. In a
study published in 2005, the German Energy Agency
(Dena) stated that 850 kilometers of extra high-voltage
power lines would be needed to transmit wind energy
44_Evonik_02-10_EN 44
03.09.2010 14:45:28 Uhr
E X P E R I E N C I N G 45
The “not in my backyard” principle
from the coast along the North and Baltic Seas to the centers of energy consumption. Only 90 kilometers of these
power lines have been completed to date. What’s more,
the Dena study assumed that renewable energy sources
would account for 20 percent of electricity production
in 2020, but the government has now increased this target to 30 percent. “Everyone’s in favor of electricity from
renewable sources, but they want it only if the required
electricity pylons aren’t visible from their living room
windows,” says Müller. The BDEW is therefore calling
for a campaign to increase people’s acceptance of infrastructure measures by pointing out the link with renewable energy sources.
The bridge and the Moselle wines
Transportation projects also spark lengthy conflicts. For
example, 40 years ago the authorities began to consider
measures for linking Belgium’s major population centers with the Rhine-Main region. They concluded there
should be a crossing of the Moselle River near the village
of Ürzig. After several lawsuits had been resolved, an unrestricted building permit was issued in late July 2008 for
construction of the highway bridge across the Moselle.
But the dispute is still far from over. Two renowned authors of books on wine, Stuart Pigott and Hugh Johnson,
recently joined the fray, claiming the bridge would endanger the Moselle wines. This was too much for Hajo
Weinmann, spokesman of the Social Democratic faction
in the Traben-Trarbach town council. “For years the town
councilors of the communities along the Moselle have
been discussing ways to improve the infrastructure and
traffic flow,” he says. “Today, heavy-duty trucks still have
to wind their way through the narrow streets of the region’s towns and villages. Our would-be rescuers should
realize that. We don’t expect the bridge to have any negative effects on winegrowing.” The region’s premier, Kurt
Beck, also rebuked the critics. “People act as though we
want to roof over the entire Moselle River,” he quipped.
No other Western nation is as hostile to new technology
as Germany, claims the U.S. magazine Newsweek. “Germany needs a party that is for progress,” writes Michael
Miersch in the magazine. The Social Democrats were
such a progress-oriented party back in the early 1960s,
when they campaigned with the slogan “A Blue Sky above
45_Evonik_02-10_EN 45
the Ruhr.” And the skies did become blue, thanks to progress resulting from innovation and technology. In his article, Miersch also claims that “many engineers, scientists,
and technicians don’t feel at home in their own country,
even though they are largely responsible for Germany’s
prosperity.“ That’s why Czwielong and his team want to
promote the Chemistry Park and safeguard jobs. Two
years ago, experts mapped the locations of nesting birds
and bats. “We’re creating alternative habitats for the bats,
and we’ll let two buildings remain standing for use by
the common house martin,” says Czwielong. The other
houses of the community will be torn down. Czwielong
is convinced he’ll be vindicated once the first potential
investors examine the area. Together with Uta Heinrich
and many others, he has played a key role in promoting
a development that will benefit the Marl Chemistry Park
as well as Germany as a business location.
S U M M A RY
Community action groups and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are increasingly hindering infrastructure and
power plant projects in Germany. The opponents of such
projects have also staged protests against coal-fired power
plants in Datteln and, most recently, in Walsum. Even
biogas facilities, wind turbines, and solar energy plants are
being blocked nowadays. Another example is provided
by the western expansion of the Marl Chemistry Park, which
has now finally been approved after a ten-year dispute.
•
The Schlenke community is now uninhabited. Mine workers used to live here
03.09.2010 14:45:30 Uhr
46 R E C O G N I Z I N G
Catching Rays with Chemistry
Whether it’s solar cells or energy storage systems, thermal insulation or LED light sources,
energy efficiency technologies have one thing in common: They are based on discoveries in chemistry
TEXT KLAUS JOPP
46_Evonik_02-10_EN 46
03.09.2010 14:28:13 Uhr
R E C O G N I Z I N G 47
The right stuff for capturing solar
energy: The chemical element silicon
(Si), which can be found in every
grain of sand, plays a dominant role in
photovoltaics, whether as metallic
raw silicon (above Einstein), as a
polycrystalline material for installation
in solar cells (to the left of Einstein)
or as a finished solar cell (blue).
Einstein is considered a pioneer in the
production of electricity from the
sun; he provided the theory behind
the photovoltaic effect
GRAPHIC BY PICFOUR, WITH THANKS TO: NASA, EVONIK INDUSTRIES,
THOMAS KOEHLER/PHOTOTHEK.NET, DOCK.STOCK, AKG IMAGES; ILLUSTRATIONS: DIETER DUNEKA
CHEMISTRY IS THE KEY to energy efficiency and
thus to protecting the climate. Just last year, the International Council of Chemical Associations, ICCA, presented
a study showing that the greenhouse gas emissions saved
by chemical products are double the amount of such gases
that are emitted during their production. In 2005, chemicals production generated a total of 3.3 billion metric tons
of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. On the other side
of the ledger, 8.5 billion metric tons were saved through
chemical products. The energy efficiency of the industry’s
processes is exemplary. From 1990 to 2007, the chemical industry in Europe reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 34 percent, although production was increased by more than 70 percent. The German chemical
industry, the revenue leader in Europe, reduced its emissions by 37 percent by 2008, making it the international
poster child in this area.
However, the energy-intensive chemical industry cannot afford to rest on its laurels. It still accounts for nearly
ten percent of the net electricity consumption in Germany.
On the other hand, the know-how gleaned from the products is important for new, energy-saving solutions. Boosting energy efficiency ensures global competitiveness. It
was against this backdrop that Evonik Industries AG established a center for energy efficiency, the Eco² Science-toBusiness Center, in Marl in 2008. The industrial group is
investing over €50 million in more than 20 research projects by 2013. Solar energy and energy storage, in particular, benefit from advancements in chemistry.
On the following pages, you will see how the first
groundbreaking discoveries in chemistry have led to the
broad range of green technologies we have at our disposal
today, ranging from the production of renewable energies
to their storage.
47_Evonik_02-10_EN 47
03.09.2010 14:28:23 Uhr
Browse our compact lexicon of the energy efficiency of
Einstein’s energy
An incredibly clean affair
[Photovoltaics] Basic knowledge
about photovoltaics, the direct
conversion of sunlight into electricity, goes a long way back. The
French physicist Prof. Alexandre
Edmond Becquerel discovered the
relationship between light and
electricity back in 1839—without
being able to explain the phenomenon. Another researcher who
made valuable contributions to
this endeavor in the early 20th
century was the German physicist
Prof. Wilhelm Ludwig Franz Hallwachs, who laid the cornerstone
for the development of the photocell, photoelectricity, and the
light-quantum hypothesis. Shortly
thereafter, in 1905, Prof. Albert
Einstein established a key foundation for the advancement of photovoltaics when he formulated his
light-quantum hypothesis and thus
provided a theoretical explanation
for the photovoltaic effect. For this
achievement he was awarded the
Nobel Prize for physics in 1921. In
1954, Bell Laboratories in New
Jersey (USA) produced the first
solar cell based on the semiconducting material silicon.
[Solar silicon] Solar cells are made from
various semiconducting materials that are produced in high-purity form by the chemical
industry. More than 90 percent of the solar
cells produced around the world are made
of silicon (chemical symbol Si).
In principle the silvery gray metalloid
is nothing special—it’s as common as sand on
the beach. Silicon is the second most abundant element in the Earth’s crust. Nonetheless,
a few years ago there was a significant shortage of silicon, because the production of
this material in high purity (99.999 percent) is
very complex and requires the appropriate
chemical processes.
The German chemical industry is involved
in the production of silicon in a variety of
ways. Wacker Chemie AG, which is based in
Munich, is the world’s second-largest
producer of high-purity silicon for the solar industry. The company primarily uses ribbongrowing processes as well as the directional
solidification of multicrystalline silicon.
The polysilicon used for these processes must
be extremely pure if high wafer pulling
yields and perfect crystals are to be achieved.
These in turn are required for the production
of solar cells with high levels of efficiency.
Evonik Industries AG has developed an
alternative production process. Hydrogen chloride is made to react with the raw silicon in or-
48_Evonik_02-10_EN 48
PHOTOGRAPHY: EVONIK INDUSTRIES
Silicon is the stuff of which solar cells are made
PHOTOGRAPHY: BELL LABS
Physicists have been working on
solar electricity for a long time
der to transform the silicon into trichlorsilane,
which in a further step is purified by means
of distillation and subsequently converted into
monosilane (SiH4) and purified once again.
The colorless gas is then thermally decomposed
in a reactor, leaving behind silicon that has the
required purity.
The great advantage of this process is that it
saves up to 90 percent of the energy that is
required for the conventional production process. According to the German Solar Industry
Association, Germany has a total production
capacity of 27,500 metric tons of solar silicon
per year.
But plastics also play an important role
when it comes to capturing the sun’s energy.
First, the plastic material is used to cover solar
bricks with solar cells, and also to focus the
sunlight by means of Fresnel lenses, which can
be manufactured from plastic using a variety
of methods such as injection molding or extrusion. Evonik has developed special PLEXIGLAS-brand molding compounds for use in
these applications.
At the Group there is also a focus on
specialty polymers that are used to create solar
cells which are particularly lightweight and
flexible. Electrically conductive plastics are
used for these organic photovoltaics. Another
approach to generating electricity from
sunlight involves the use of synthetic dyes.
03.09.2010 14:28:29 Uhr
solar energy
Sharp Corporation, the
world’s largest
manufacturer of solar
cells, brought the
largest thin-layer cell
factory on line this year
in Sakai, outside of
Osaka (Japan). Sharp
plans a production
volume of 1,000
megawatts per year
PHOTOGRAPHY: SHARP, ILLUSTRATION: PICFOUR
The subtle difference—but how great is its effect?
[Thin and thick-layer cells] Conventional
crystalline silicon solar cells are thick-layer cells
that are manufactured from discs which are
less than one millimeter thick, called wafers.
The wafers are cut from either a single crystal
(monocrystalline) or a block of crystals
(polycrystalline). The cells consist of a p-layer
that is approximately 0.6 millimeter thick
and an n-layer that is only 0.001 millimeter
thick. The two layers are doped with different
impurity atoms (phosphorus and boron). It is
this doping process that makes the conversion
of sunlight into electricity possible. The
efficiency of industrial-scale crystalline cells
is between 16 and 20 percent.
With material thicknesses of only a few
micrometers (thousandths of a millimeter),
thin-layer cells are significantly thinner than
conventional solar cells. There are siliconbased solutions for thin-layer cells (amorphous
and micromorph cells) as well, but there
are also solutions based on a variety of other
semiconducting materials.
Organic solar cells and dye-sensitized solar
cells (which are called Grätzel cells after their
inventor) also belong in this category (see next
page). Amorphous cells still hold the largest
market share among the thin-layer cells today.
They are significantly less expensive, but their
efficiencies are only between five and seven
percent.
The micromorph thin-layer cell has a tandem
structure consisting of an amorphous and a microcrystalline silicon layer. This configuration
makes optimal use of the sun’s light spectrum
because both of the silicon layers convert the
entire spectrum of light, from violet to the
near-infrared range, into electricity. This gives
the tandem cell a potential efficiency of ten
percent or more, which is roughly in the same
range as the efficiencies of the alternative
semiconducting materials. Efficiency values
as high as 20 percent have been achieved in the
laboratory.
Some of these semiconductors are at a
disadvantage in the long run because they are
rare and in very high demand, besides being
difficult to recycle. This is why the hopes for
lightweight, flexible, and mobile solutions tend
to rest on organic solar cells that are based on
plastics and dyes.
Through thick and thin
Thin-layer cells are increasingly being used concurrently with the familiar thick-layer cells.
In contrast to the conventional wafer solar cell, the light falls onto the surface structure
of a thin-layer cell at an angle and strikes an optically reflective reverse side, which multiplies
the light path of the cell several times. A 30-micrometer thin-layer cell provides nearly
the same photovoltaic effect as a 300-micrometer thick wafer cell.
The graphic shows a thin-layer cell on the left compared with
a thick-layer cell on the right
49_Evonik_02-10_EN 49
03.09.2010 14:28:45 Uhr
The pioneer Michael Grätzel captures the energy of the
Research is focusing on the organic solar cell
The Grätzel cell
Turning plastic into electricity
[Dye layer] Prof. Michael Grätzel,
a physicist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne
(Switzerland), has developed a
new concept that was inspired by
the photosynthesis of green plants
back in the early 1990s. Instead of
using the chlorophyll of plants, the
Grätzel cell captures solar energy
by means of a layer of synthetic
dye. What makes this cell so interesting is that it becomes more efficient as the light becomes weaker
and more diffuse; that’s a particular advantage for regions that do
not receive very much sunshine.
The quality of the nanocrystalline
layers in which the dye is absorbed
is a prerequisite for high efficiency.
These layers enlarge the active surface that is available for the photoelectric process by a factor of
1,000. A number of research institutions are now conducting research into alternatives to the synthetic dye in order to make the cells
even more efficient. Grätzel
himself, the winner of this year’s
Millennium Technology Prize,
believes that efficiencies in excess
of 30 percent are possible.
[Organic solar cells] Organic solar cells are
made of materials from organic chemistry,
in particular plastics. New developments have
now given rise to electrically conductive and
superconducting polymers. In the lab, light is
converted to electricity with an efficiency
of approximately 12 percent. The particular advantages of organic solar cells lie in other areas,
however, including a tremendous potential to
50_Evonik_02-10_EN 50
The layer principle
Incident light
Substrate: Glass, film
Back electrode (transparent)
Transport layer
PHOTOGRAPHY: FRAUNHOFER ISE, GRAPHIC: PICFOUR
PHOTOGRAPHY: ACTION PRESS
Prof. Michael Grätzel, winner of the
“2010 Millennium Technology Prize”
Electrical
conductor
Absorber: Polymer-fullerene
Metal contact
Organic solar cells
are effective only
if the electrons
can move with
ease from the
polymer to the
fullerenes and
traverse the
distance to the
electrode quickly
Fullerene accepter
<50 fs
Polymer donator
lower costs, as the organic materials used are
very powerful absorbers. An extremely thin
layer is therefore sufficient to capture the light,
thus resulting in very low material consumption. Furthermore, lower production costs can
be achieved by means of print or roll-to-roll
processes. Other advantages include flexibility,
transparency, easy handling, low weight,
and high environmental compatibility. Finally,
large-surface technologies enable high electricity yields, and a targeted synthesis of the
plastics enables them to be adapted to the spectrum of the sun.
Films made of PLEXIGLAS, which Evonik
Industries AG has been manufacturing for
decades, could play an important role as a protective layer and a covering for the actual
photovoltaic cells. The use of organic solar
cells as building facade elements that allow
light to pass through and generate electricity
is also conceivable.
The flexibility of organic solar cells virtually
predestines them for mobile applications.
For instance, they can be applied to backpacks
or clothing and used to generate electricity
for operating cellular phones. The German
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
is subsidizing organic photovoltaics to the tune
of €60 million, with an additional €300 million being provided by German industry, including major chemical companies.
03.09.2010 14:28:52 Uhr
sun with a layer of dye
The world’s largest and first solar charging station is in Berlin
Solar storage on a grand scale
Air instead of lead
[Storage technology] Closely associated with
the increased use of photovoltaics—and renewable energies in general—is the development of the storage technology. Particularly
at night and under very cloudy skies, the yields
from photovoltaic systems are in effect zero,
and high-performance storage systems must
be available to bridge these downtimes.
Chemistry is also laying the groundwork here.
Leading the efforts in Germany toward
the development and production of large,
rechargeable lithium-ion batteries is Li-Tec
Battery GmbH, a joint venture between
Evonik Industries AG and Daimler AG that is
based in Kamenz, Germany. Smaller versions
of such systems are already used in cameras,
cellular phones, and laptop computers.
However, their energy density must increase
to 150 watt-hours per kilogram before
they can be suitable for use in electric vehicles
and industrial applications.
Nor is existing battery technology reliable
or safe enough for the power required of
large-volume systems. Components from
Evonik, in particular an innovative ceramic
membrane, compensate for this disadvantage.
The heat-resistant separator serves as a partition between the electrochemical reactions,
and because it does not melt until it reaches
600 °C (Celsius), the risk of a short-circuit is
almost completely eliminated.
[Lithium systems] Already under
development today are innovative
lithium systems in which the oxygen in the air is supposed to serve
as a reaction partner for the lithium.
Designs of this type are expected to
achieve an energy density of at
least 200 watt-hours per kilogram,
and their weight would be just
one fifth that of conventional lead
batteries.
The ultimate outcome of this
development could be the super
battery, a particularly clever
lithium technology that uses the air
as a cathode. Researchers are
dreaming of such systems, which
could boast an energy density of
1,500 watt-hours per kilogram in
approximately ten years.
With a system of this kind, an
electrically powered vehicle would
require a battery pack weighing as
little as 120 kilograms in order to
enjoy a mobility range of 1,000 kilometers. A major contributor
along the road to this goal has been
the new MEET (Münster Electrochemical Energy Technology)
battery research center at the
University of Münster.
The global race for the car battery of the future
is in full swing. In the long run, this will also
benefit stationary systems that could be used in
many locations as storage stations for wind and
solar power. With the support of the German
Federal Ministry of Research, Evonik and
Li-Tec have already packed 4,700 cells into a
demonstrator called LESSY (lithium-ion
electricity storage system), which is scheduled
to begin testing in 2011. LESSY’s storage
system has a power of one megawatt.
Large lithium-ion batteries will
store solar and wind power and make
it available to the electrical grid.
Evonik is developing a giant
rechargeable battery called LESSY
(lithium-ion electricity storage
system), which will be roughly the
size of a shipping container.
A LESSY is fitted with 4,700 cells
and has a capacity
of 700 kilowatt-hours
PHOTOGRAPHY: PEUGEOT DEUTSCHLAND
PHOTOGRAPHY: YOUNICOS, ILLUSTRATION: EVONIK INDUSTRIES
The four electric motors of the
Peugeot Pure are in the tires
51_Evonik_02-10_EN 51
03.09.2010 14:29:09 Uhr
52 A C H I E V I N G
Marie Curie received
her first Nobel Prize
for physics in 1903
together with her
husband (left). In 1911
she was the first woman
to receive the Nobel
Prize for chemistry
(right)
The Women after Curie
A hundred years ago, it caused a sensation when a woman, Prof. Marie
Curie, received the Nobel Prize for chemistry. Today many women
are studying chemistry, but only a few go on to occupy top positions
TEXT DR. BRIGITTE RÖTHLEIN
PHOTOGRAPHY: AKG IMAGES, PICTURE ALLIANCE/DPA, MARKUS PIETREK, ROGER VIOLLET/GETTY IMAGES
THE RUSSIAN RAILWAY COMPANY was faced
with a problem: Its workers regularly got frostbite on
their faces when they were sent to build railroad lines
in Siberia. Hands and bodies can be protected from the
freezing cold with warm clothes and gloves, but not
the entire face. That’s why the railroad officials turned
to the Skin Care product line in the Care Specialties
Business Line of Evonik Industries AG in Krefeld to
ask whether its specialist for “working skin” also had a
cream that protects against the cold. The requirements
were that the cream should be easy to squeeze from the
tube at below-zero temperatures, be easy to spread,
and leave no greasy marks on workpieces, as siliconebased creams do.
Dr. Petra Allef, Head of Research, Development,
and Application Technology at Skin Care, took on the
challenge and developed, together with her team, the
silicone-free cream STOKO frost protect, which stands
up to the Siberian cold thanks to a special anti-freezing property. Today the cream is used outside Russia as
well, protecting workers in German refrigerated warehouses and researchers on the Arctic Ocean, for example. The product recently received the Innovation Prize
of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.
Petra Allef and her research department have many
different kinds of problems to solve. For example, workers in the metal processing industry have to protect
their hands from aggressive cooling lubricants, welders and road construction crews need face creams that
offer very good protection from ultraviolet light (UVA, B, and C), and people in the cleaning and care professions depend on especially effective hand creams.
The 15 researchers in the team keep finding unusual
solutions, for example a new type of skin cleanser for
use against heavy soiling from materials such as grease
and oils—completely without abrasives.
“Even as a child, I always wanted to be a chemist,”
says Dr. Allef, who is now 39. When she decided at age
12 that this was the only profession for her, people only
smiled. And when she expressed this wish as a 10thgrader at a job counseling session at the local labor exchange, she was advised to become a teacher instead,
as “that’s something more suitable for women.” Dr.
Bettina Lotsch, a 32-year-old professor of chemistry
at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, didn’t have
these kinds of problems early on, but she did find that at
the university level there’s a serious break. “The number of men and women receiving doctorates is roughly
equal, but there’s a dramatic difference when you get
to the postdoctoral stage,” she says.
Petra Allef didn’t get discouraged and pursued her
ambition, even though the road was sometimes rocky.
“I got my doctorate in natural product chemistry/stereoselective synthesis, because I would have liked to work
in the field of pharmacology,” she says. “However, in
spite of many job interviews, I didn’t get that kind of position. The jobs always went to men with professional
experience.” She finally accepted an offer from Procter
& Gamble and worked on optimizing aftershave and
toothpaste for the Gillette brand. “I enjoyed that a lot,
because in this field you get results quickly and then
you can hold in your hand a product you’ve developed
yourself,” she says.
Strictly for men?
Allef’s switch to Evonik was the result of a coincidence. She was sitting in an airplane reading a magazine when she noticed a job ad from Evonik Gold-
03.09.2010 13:29:20 Uhr
Dr. Petra Allef, 39, Head of
Research, Development,
and Application Technology at
Evonik’s Skin Care product
line in Krefeld, learned early on
to go her own way and
not let others divert her
03.09.2010 13:29:23 Uhr
schmidt GmbH. Without hesitating, she sent in a
job application and immediately received a position
as head of the synthesis group for cosmetic base materials. Five years ago she was promoted to the position
of Head of Innovation Management at Skin Care. “After I became a manager, I never again had problems asserting myself professionally as a woman against the
men,” she says.
Less than a hundred years ago, such a situation
would have been unthinkable. In 1911, when the famous chemist Marie Curie dared to apply for membership in the French Academy of Sciences, she caused a
quite a stir. She had already been doing research with
extraordinary success, and in 1903 she had received
her first Nobel Prize for physics, together with her
husband. When her candidature for the Academy was
announced in the newspaper Le Figaro on November
16, 1910, the Paris newspapers discussed whether a
woman was even entitled to a membership. There was
a range of opinions, from disapproving conservatives to
supporters of women’s rights who would have loved to
see a woman in the Academy’s sacred halls. Paparazzi
even tried to chase her down in order to get photos of
the elegant 43-year-old woman scientist.
The chemist Silvia Marten,
39, a department head
at the Knauer company in
Berlin, is benefiting
from a child-friendly boss
Women not admitted!
On Monday, January 24, 1911, the Academy of Sciences took a vote. A large crowd of spectators had arrived, but only the men were admitted. A total of 58
members were present, so the absolute majority was 30
votes. The new member who was eventually accepted,
with just a few votes more than Curie, was the physicist Prof. Édouard Branly, who subsequently faded into
obscurity. Although Curie did not show her disappoint-
03.09.2010 13:29:25 Uhr
A C H I E V I N G 55
Dr. Andrea Schütze,
44, a team leader
at Shell Hamburg who
is responsible for
lubricants research,
has learned not to
conceal her
accomplishments
PHOTOGRAPHY: NORA BIBEL, POPPERFOTO/GETTY IMAGES, ULRIKE SCHACHT, ULLSTEIN BILD/ROGER VIOLLET
Men communicate differently
ment in public, she never made another attempt to become a member of the Academy of Sciences. It took 68
years for the elitist club to accept its first female member, the mathematician Prof. Yvonne Choquet-Bruhat.
The Nobel Prize committee was more courageous: In
1911 Marie Curie received her second Nobel Prize,
this time for chemistry. In the following years women
did not make great progress in chemistry: In 1935 Curie’s daughter Irène received the Nobel Prize together
with her husband, followed only in 1964 by the British
chemist Prof. Dorothy Hodgkin. It remains to be seen
whether a new trend has been signaled by the awarding
of the Nobel Prize last year to the Israeli Prof. Ada Yonath. Although it’s true that in the 20th century there
was a change of attitude toward women, one looks in
vain for outstanding female role models in the field of
chemistry during this period. Important women researchers have remained in the background, such as
the British chemist Prof. Rosalind Franklin, who laid the
groundwork in 1953 for the discovery of the structure
of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), but never received
the Nobel Prize.
Women who were interested in chemistry tended
to choose medical professions, where they had much
better career opportunities. Today, however, there are
many women chemists in scientific professions. According to a statistic of the National Pact for Women in
MINT Careers (MINT: mathematics, information science, natural sciences, technology), approximately 47
percent of the freshmen majoring in chemistry in Germany are women. However, a gap opens up once they
graduate. “There’s a clear discrepancy between the
numbers of women studying chemistry and the numbers entering it as a career and becoming professional
scientists,” says Dr. Ines Weller, a professor at the University of Bremen who works at the Research Center
for Sustainability Studies/Center for Gender Studies.
“We’re not managing to keep this high proportion of
women. Instead, it drops significantly during the subsequent phase of advanced studies.”
The chemistry professor Bettina Lotsch believes
there are several reasons for that. The most important
one is that many women believe they have to decide
between having a family and having a career. In order
to show women possible solutions, universities have
to start as soon as possible, according to Lotsch, a 32year-old researcher who doesn’t believe that quotas
for women are a good solution. “As early as graduate
school, we should be showing women different possibilities for combining a family and a career. And then, of
course, we have to create the corresponding infrastructure, for example having daycare centers on campus.”
Self-presentation is crucial
Silvia Marten has successfully combined a career and
a family. She heads a department at the Knauer company in Berlin, which specializes in manufacturing scientific equipment, and has a nine-year-old daughter.
Her husband travels a lot for his job. “Fortunately, my
daughter’s grandparents help out a lot, but daily life
still requires lots of organization,” says the 39-yearold chemist. Marten’s job requires her full concentration and lots of travel, as she is in charge of so-called
“column phase application.” This is a process in highperformance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in which
mixtures of substances can be separated with extreme
precision and analyzed. Marten and her six specialists
are direct contact persons for the customers.
03.09.2010 13:29:27 Uhr
Becoming a manager is no piece of cake
The child-friendly policies of Silvia Marten’s employer have helped her to combine her career and her
family. Alexandra Knauer, the owner and CEO of this
medium-sized company, helps her 104 employees out
wherever she can. She has set up a children’s room
where employees voluntarily take care of the children
at the company’s expense. “Taking care of each other’s children reinforces communication between the
employees and improves the working atmosphere as a
whole,” says Knauer, who is herself the mother of two
children. “We simply can’t afford to let the professional
potential of women lie fallow,” she says. She believes
it’s even more important to strengthen the way women
present themselves. “We have to realize that we’re just
as good as the men, and we have to clearly communicate our achievements,” she emphasizes. That’s why
she also offers training courses for women employees,
where they can learn how to present themselves and
how to deal effectively with their male colleagues.
PHOTOGRAPHY: THOMAS DASHUBER, ULLSTEIN BILD/AISA
Good work alone is not enough
Dr. Andrea Schütze has also had to learn these professional skills. Schütze, a 44-year-old chemist, was
previously responsible for developing fuels at Shell
in Hamburg; since January 2010 she has been a team
leader in the area of lubricant research. Together with
her 12 team members she develops lubricants for the
bearings of various transmission systems, ranging
from window lifters in cars to airplane landing gear
and wind turbines. All of these applications have very
different requirements, so her group always looks for
the optimal lubricant for every purpose. In her work
she deals not only with chemistry but also with process engineering.
This is really male territory, but Andrea Schütze was
undaunted. “I’ve always been interested in chemistry, especially its practical applications. Besides, I like
cars,” she says. Her parents also worked in technical
professions, so she had no fears regarding technology.
What was new to her was the way women have to present themselves in a man’s world. “Men always show
off their achievements, but women still have to learn
how to do that. Good work alone is not enough,” she
says. “It’s wrong to simply expect the boss to seek you
out when there’s a higher position to fill. You have to
make sure you’re not overlooked.” Bettina Lotsch has
also observed a difference between men’s and women’s behavior on the job. “One theory about why there
are so few women professors in the universities is that
the structures there are very masculine. They are characterized by networks, and men communicate differently. It’s not always easy for women to find their way
in this male-oriented world,” she says.
Nonetheless, she deals with this difficulty in a relaxed way: “At meetings I don’t feel I always have to
dominate the discussion. I tend to stay in the background. I don’t need power.” What motivates her is
science. Even as a student she was one of the best, and
she received scholarship aid from the Chemical Industry Fund. In her master’s thesis she combined aspects of
physical, organic, and inorganic chemistry, which are
traditionally strictly separate. She still follows this approach today. After receiving her doctorate she went to
Toronto, Canada, where she worked in the field of material chemistry. She had previously concentrated more
on fundamental research, but now she changed her focus to applied research. For example, she investigated
porous materials on the nanoscale, which have impor-
Chemistry professor
Dr. Bettina Lotsch, 32,
doesn’t believe in
quotas for women. The
University of Munich
persuaded the nanoexpert to return to
Germany from
Toronto (Canada)
03.09.2010 13:29:28 Uhr
A C H I E V I N G 57
tant applications in the areas of gas storage, catalysis,
and sensor technology on account of their extensive
surface area. It is hoped that their customized production will open up possibilities for a new “soft” chemistry. This field, known as “functional nanostructures,”
is a hot topic at the moment, so the University of Munich was not about to let this extraordinary young researcher go. It lured her back by offering her a professorship, which she accepted in February 2009. Now
Lotsch has to show whether she is equal to the demands
of this leadership position. “I have to build up my team,
settle in, and start by getting used to being a professor,”
she says. “And of course I have exactly the same teaching obligations as my colleagues.”
She certainly can’t expect any special treatment. Sylvia Martin sums up the situation as follows: “Women
definitely have to be better than the men; you have to
work hard to be accepted in this profession. It’s no piece
of cake.” It is therefore all the more important for women
to enjoy their work, feel comfortable in their jobs, and
not let themselves be put under pressure. After all, unlike the days of Marie Curie, all doors are now open to
women chemists—they merely have to step inside.
S U M M A RY
Approximately 47 percent of the freshmen majoring in
chemistry are women, but there are still very few women in
managerial positions in the chemical industry.
The main reasons for that include the difficulty of
combining a family and a career—as well as the
way women present themselves, because they often don’t
feel they can handle managerial responsibilities.
The solution involves building better infrastructures and
promoting stronger self-confidence among women.
•
•
•
03.09.2010 13:29:32 Uhr
58 L I V I N G
Microzoos for Saving the World
TOM SCHIMMECK reports on biochemistry
that aims to solve global problems
ILLUSTRATION PETER PICHLER
“WE’RE TRYING to find the ultimate solution for replacing oil,” says Prof. James C. Liao,
Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA). “That’s because the age of petroleum is coming to an end.”
Prof. Liao’s words aren’t just an empty boast.
He and his team have backed them up with pioneering research that is moving toward “green”
biochemistry, which could solve global problems. Their approach involves genetic alteration
of microorganisms. The trick here is to manipulate bacteria so that they become able to turn a
source of anxiety into a cornucopia of benefits.
One example is carbon dioxide. Since the start
of the Industrial Revolution, human beings have
produced many gigatons of it, in addition to the
amounts generated by natural processes. Carbon dioxide isn’t a pollutant; on the contrary, it’s
essential for life on Earth. The problem is its increasing amounts. The CO2 from factory smokestacks, power plants, and vehicles is worsening
the notorious greenhouse effect that is changing
the climate. What can we do with the gas?
In the Petri dishes in their labs, Prof. Liao and
his team are growing a genetically altered variant
of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus, a photosynthetic freshwater bacterium that
can turn the problematic CO2 into clean fuel. Liao’s team is also working with the well-known
intestinal bacterium Escherichia coli, whose metabolism the researchers have altered in such a
way that this coli bacterium has mutated into a
fuel factory. “We’ve been lucky to find a new
method for very efficiently transforming carbon
dioxide into fuel,” reports Liao modestly.
There are microorganisms in nature that can
ferment plants with high sugar or starch content
into alcohol. However, natural microorganisms
produce only materials with a low energy content. So far, all attempts to increase this energy
content have proved to be far too inefficient. But
the bacteria from Prof. Liao’s microzoo are able
to perform mighty feats: They can transform
CO2 into higher alcohols consisting of longer
molecular chains, including biofuels such as isobutanol, which yield much more energy than the
well-known ethanol. And they do it by means of
photosynthesis, which is fueled by solar energy.
So emissions once again become fuel.
This may sound a bit like turning water into
wine. But it’s actually even better, because if
such a process becomes available on an industrial
scale, a problem would immediately be solved
and a new, clean fuel would simultaneously be
produced. “We’ve shown that this possibility
is feasible,” says Liao. However, he adds that it
will take a great deal of further effort before the
method can be used by industry. He predicts this
will happen “in five to ten years.”
James Liao, who grew up in Taiwan, started
out as a chemical engineer. He has been a professor at UCLA since 1997 and has received so
many awards for his pioneering work that he
could easily decorate an entire wall with them. In
June 2010, Liao received the Presidential Green
Chemistry Challenge Academic Award of the
Environmental Protection Agency in Washing-
ton (District of Columbia, USA). This coveted
prize is awarded for the development of alternative technologies that reduce toxic waste or even
help to eliminate it altogether. President Barack
Obama sent his congratulations.
According to Liao, a chemical engineer “is
always looking for ways to manipulate chemical reactions within a system.” Liao is using this
approach today in order to find out how we can
change the chemical reactions taking place inside a cell. It wasn’t until the beginning of the
21st century that scientists began research focusing on altering cell metabolism.
A metabolic engineer? Could the profession be an icon of the postindustrial age? The
new research areas are in fact called “metabolic
engineering” and “synthetic biology.” Initially,
says Liao, “we couldn’t imagine our work would
develop such a tremendous impact.” But today
the pressure of global problems is the scientists’
strongest motivation. “I always encourage my
students to aim high,” Liao says. But there’s no
cause for megalomania, he adds: “It takes many
small steps to achieve a major change.”
Microorganisms taking over chemical production. According to Liao, an initial “bacteria factory” could be built right next to a power
plant—enabling it to directly transform the
plant’s CO2 emissions into biofuel. This could
potentially even be cost-efficient. Does he consider himself a genius? “Nature has created all
of this,” says Liao evasively. “We’re only channeling the natural biochemistry of the cell into a
useful process.”
Evonik Magazine CHEMICAL INDUSTRY SPECIAL ISSUE 2010
08.09.2010 12:19:05 Uhr
www.evonik.com
Exceptional solutions in plastics
are no exception for us.
Evonik.indd 1
03.09.2010 16:36:19 Uhr
www.evonik.com
Who gives electric cars
such powerful acceleration?
We do.
Tomorrow’s cars will run on electricity. Evonik delivers
the essentials to make it happen – components that make
lithium-ion batteries safer and more powerful with longer
life. This winning technology will give our customers in
the automotive industry that all-important innovative edge.
We are the creative industrial group from Germany active
in the fields of Chemicals, Energy and Real Estate.
Evonik.indd 1
03.09.2010 16:35:52 Uhr

- Evonik Industries

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