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333 for laundry detergents. Even research into catalysts
for exhaust fumes from industry and traffic were
gaining importance—more than 20 years before the
law required cars to be fitted with catalysts.
In the 1970s, the oil crisis arrived and increased
the prices of raw materials and energy. The chemical
industry, in turn, introduced more economical and
environmentally compatible products to the market.
Among other advances, the Group made a key contribution
to reducing the environmental impact of
cars: The first production plant for MTBE—a lead substitute
important for the antiknock properties of gasoline—was
built in Marl in 1976.
The 1980s saw intense public debate over forest
dieback, disarmament, and atomic energy. Across
Germany, the Group at that time was peerless in its
activities related to monosilane-gas—a starting material
for the production of solar cells. The innovations
of this decade also included additives for solvent-free
coatings.
In the 1990s, Evonik also ensured that green ideas
gave birth to tangible products: Its silicas and organosilanes
supplied two essential components for
the production of tires that save fuel through extremely
low rolling resistance and thereby also protect
the environment. In addition, the Group transitioned
increasingly to the production of surfactants
from renewable raw materials. And about four decades
after its debut, the EUDRAGIT® tablet coating
experienced another surge in innovation—the market
launch of a new variant for patients who depend on
continuous drug delivery.
Since the dawn of the 21st century, the Group has
also focused its innovative power inwardly, adopting
new structures in research and development—one of
the most important sources for innovation. Its objective
is improved knowledge transfer and completely
market-oriented R&D.
Currently, Evonik intends to benefit above all from
the worldwide social development processes in
health, nutrition, resource efficiency, and globalization.
Some of the Group’s innovations include bricks
for home construction that stand out for their special
heat-insulating filler, and biopharmaceuticals that
come as sprays or tablets and eliminate the need for
injections. They also include binders for corrosion
protection formulations that significantly reduce or
avoid the use of toxic heavy metals.
Hydrogen peroxide—an environmentally friendly
bleaching agent that replaces chlorine bleach—is a
great example of a changing market. Another example
is PLEXIGLAS®: The plastic was introduced on
the market as early as the 1930s, and a new variant
now provides noise protection for a heavily traveled
elements39 Issue 2|2012
Dr. Klaus engel is Chairman of the
executive Board of evonik Industries AG
highway in southern China. And it demonstrates,
once again, that the global innovation superhighway
offers Germany, as an industrial nation, literally
boundless opportunities.
All these examples support my core thesis: We
cannot abandon our efforts to put good ideas into
practice, because they ensure the livelihood of future
generations. As always, the key here is dialogue: In-
Continuing the dialogue
ner cities plagued by smog, lakes and rivers covered
by foam from laundry detergents have all warned us
to make changes. There can be no doubt that legislation
and public pressure have helped bring about
the transformation. But without innovation—in other
words, without industrial practice—our progress
would have been trifling.
This is why we should discuss the pros and cons
of innovations and new projects in a spirit of fairness
and commitment—without social acceptance, even
the best innovations will fail. But at the same time,
we shouldn’t allow endless, irrelevant debate to slam
the brakes on us and make us veer off the lane of reason.
Driving on the hard shoulder is dangerous. For
an industrial nation like Germany, which depends on
innovation, it’s particularly hazardous. 777