26 BIoteCHnoLoGY elements35 Issue 2|2011 <strong>Evonik</strong> BioTechDay On a growth course White biotechnology has become an indispensable part of the chemical industry. But experts agree: the field is still in its infancy. High double-digit growth rates and key strategic decisions show that industrial biotechnology will replace even more conventional petrochemical processes. At <strong>Evonik</strong>’s BioTechDay in March, some 200 participants discussed the opportunities this will create. [ text Dr. Thomas Haas, Dr. Jan Pfeffer ] Biofuel, cosmetics or biopolymers: The desire to replace fossil raw materials has dramatically increased demand for renewable carbon sources
foR YeARs, It was impossible to imagine how a chemical industry could get along without oil. But because of finite deposits, political uncertainties, and technological advancement, the industry has given more and more thought to new approaches, and for some applications, has already developed competitive or even better alternatives to petrochemical products. Thanks to microorganisms and enzymes, biotechnological processes increasingly enable the development of products such as biofuels, polymers and solvents based on renewable raw materials. “About ten percent of the world market for chemical products is now produced with the help of biotechnologically produced substances,” said Patrik Wohlhauser, the member of the Board of <strong>Evonik</strong> <strong>Industries</strong> AG with responsibility for innovation management, at the opening of BioTechDay, which was held March 9–10 in Marl. “<strong>Evonik</strong> now generates about eight percent of its sales from white biotechnology, with high growth rates.” Nearly 200 participants at the event learned about the potential of biotechnology for the chemical industry. There was also a Product Marketplace, featuring classical biobased products, such as amino acids and cosmetic active ingredients, as well as new developments from <strong>Evonik</strong>, which are already established in this market. The Group has special expertise in developing strains, fermentation, and in processing bioproducts. With its Biotechnology Science-to-Business Center (S2B Bio), Creavis strategic research and development unit for basic research activities, and its Biotechnology Area of Competence, in which <strong>Evonik</strong> bundles its cross-business-unit biotechnological know-how, the Group has positioned itself well in these areas. “The dream of creating a product in a single cell is impossible in classical chemistry. But thanks to biotechnology, it is becoming a reality,” said Dr. Thomas Haas, head of the S2B Bio and organizer of the convention. With biotechnology <strong>Evonik</strong> has expanded its technology portfolio to foster the growth fields of resource efficiency, nutrition and health, as well as the globalization of technologies. “Our innovation projects are allowing us to move further and further into the so-called emerging markets,” said Dr. Peter Nagler, head of Innovation Management Chemicals & Creavis at <strong>Evonik</strong>. Biotechnology requires patience It took longer for biotechnology to get where it is now than consultants predicted ten to 15 years ago, when a 25 or even 40 percent share of the world market in 2010 seemed possible. Technological hurdles, radically altered industrial value-added chains that called for new partnerships, and market mechanisms for raw materials meant that companies had to design highly targeted and flexible biotechnology strategies. “Theoretically, hundreds of chemicals and plastics can be man ufactured from renewable raw materials, but up to now, only a small number actually have,“ added Dr. Hanns Martin Kaiser, consultant at McKinsey & Company. He described the reasons for this, and the situation in industrial biotechnology in his presentation. In the past, bio-related sales were generated The Product Marketplace at the <strong>Evonik</strong> BioTechDay provided material for discussion BIoteCHnoLoGY 27 mainly in biofuels, plant extracts and natural rubber. “Bio-based chemicals may be relevant to a broad spectrum of market participants,“ says Kaiser. “But right now, virtually no manufacturer can cover the value chain alone. This means that partnerships are essential.“ Kaiser cited five forces driving continued growth in this sector: cost competitiveness, flexible use of raw materials, consumer demand, technological innovations, and pressure from public authorities. Trend in raw material prices means substantial planning uncertainty The costs for biotechnologically manufactured products are increasingly competitive with those of classical petrochemistry. “Until now, the prices of crude oil and raw sugar, for example, haven’t had much to do with each other,” said Kaiser. But this also means that it is hard to predict when a biotechnological process will be cheaper than a petrochemical process, 333 elements35 Issue 2|2011
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