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Evonik announces ‘next phase of strategic transformation’

At its Capital Markets Day, Evonik announced that it is embarking on the next phase of its strategic transformation. During this, said board chairman Christian Kullmann, the company will be “executing targeted and massive investments in green growth and making sustainability our central innovation driver”.

New strategy for Evonik Active Oxygens

Evonik’s Active Oxygens business line has released a new sustainability strategy for its hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), peracetic acid and persulfates. This includes steps to slash carbon emissions and increase resource efficiency in production, with the goal of achieving climate neutrality across the business line by 2040.

Evonik realigns Health Care

In order to “maximise customer centricity and market focus” and continue an ongoing transition into “a system solutions partner for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries”, Evonik has divided its Health Care business into three distinct units.

Drug Substance encompasses the company’s CDMO services for active APIs, including HPAPIs, and intermediates plus generics. It is headed by Dr Stefan Randl, an industry veteran of 15 years who has been leading projects in mRNA and gene therapies since 2020.

Biosurfactant platform planned

Waste2Func, a European BBI-JU funded project, has been granted €6.7 million to build a technology platform. This will collect food waste from agriculture, food manufacturing, supermarkets, auctions and restaurants, and convert it via fermentation and purification into lactic acid and biosurfactants with applications in cosmetics, personal care and household care products. The project began in June 2021 and will end in November 2024, with a total budget of €13.965 million.

Otto Roelen Medal for Robert Franke

Dechema and the German Catalysis Society have awarded the 2022 Otto Roelen Medal to Professor Robert Franke for his work on developing catalytic carbonylation, particularly hydroformylation, from theory to industrial implementation. The award will be made at the society’s AGM in Weimar on 18 June.

Franke is adjunct professor at Ruhr University Bochum and also heads up hydroformylation research at the Evonik Performance Materials site in Marl. His research focuses on homogeneous catalysis, process intensification and the modelling of catalytic processes.

Evonik to divest Lülsdorf site

Evonik has announced that it intends to divest its site in Lülsdorf, south of Cologne in Germany, and will draw up more detailed plans by spring 2022. The company would prefer an outright transfer to a single owner but will consider selling it in parts.

Christian Kullmann, chairman of the executive board, said: “With our focus on high-margin speciality chemicals, further development of the site doesn’t make sense for us”. Some potential investors have already expressed interest.

Evonik buys delivery firm

Evonik has agreed to buy Infinitec Activos, which is based at Montornés del Vallès near Barcelona supplies delivery systems for cosmetic active ingredients, including its Cosmetic Drone proprietary technology and its new polylactic-co-glycolic acid-based delivery system. The natural-based raw material producer, Naturethic, is also part of the deal.

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