technology report 04

Research & Development
Dr. Ekaterini Copanaki Dr. Jörg-Martin Gebert Dr. Frank Heinricht
Dr. Richard Walter
“Innovations are a key element of our
growth strategy.”
Dr. Frank Heinricht
Dr. Richard Walter from Heraeus Precious Metals won in
the “Best Product Innovation” category for the synthesis
of platinum oxalate, which is used in the chemicals industry
as a catalyst precursor in the production of industrial
process catalysts. Platinum oxalate is a new precious
metal compound for Heraeus, the technical scale of which
the market had not previously known. There were two
victors in the Best Process Innovation category. Dr. Jan
Schapp, also from Heraeus Precious Metals, won for a new
recycling process for fluorinated catalysts and products.
Dr. Kyung Chung from Heraeus Materials Technology
(USA) convinced the judges with a reduced fabrication
cost process for metal-oxide materials. Two innovations
tied for second place in the product category: components
for medical implants made of magnetically hard, biocompatible
precious metals alloys (Dr. Jörg-Martin Gebert,
Heraeus Precious Metals) and an antibiotic coating
process for cementless arthroplasty that reduces the risk
of infection with joint implants. (Dr. Ekaterini Copanaki,
Heraeus Medical).
Heraeus awarded its 10th internal Innovation Awards
The award winners were recognized at the ceremony by
the Heraeus Board of Management. “Innovations are a key
element of our growth strategy. And with our Innovation
Award we actually would like to present those innovations
and the people behind to a broad audience within the
company. We also would like to celebrate and to honor
those developers,” emphasizes Dr. Frank Heinricht,
Chairman of the Board of Management of Heraeus Holding
GmbH until May 31, 2013. Supervisory Board Chairman
Dr. Jürgen Heraeus, patron of the event, is also convinced
by the Innovation Award winners: “We develop clever
innovations for very technologically-challenging niches.
And many of our award-winning products and processes
have led to improvements at our customers’ companies.”
You can view the film of the 2012
awards ceremony online on the Heraeus
innovation pages using the QR code
provided here.
technology report Issue 4 | 2013
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