HERE+NOW.IMPULSE MAGAZINE // Special Edition 2019

EW Biotech scales
biotechnological
processes in Leuna
The chemical park in Leuna is a small
world of its own. No one is allowed to
drive on the premises without an identity card
check and safety instructions. Inside, the traditional
industrial area is linked together by a
kilometre-long network of roads, rails, pipelines
and power cables. More than 6,000 people
work at the 1,300 hectare site – Leuna has
made a name for itself in the chemical industry.
One of the many companies based at the
chemical park is EW Biotech GmbH. It is here
that the leap from the laboratory to the
industrial production is rehearsed. An American
company, for instance, commissioned EW
Biotech with the production of small quantities
of 1.3-butylene glycol, which is used as a moisturiser
in a variety of creams. “At our facility,
we are able to scale any biotechnological
process and bring it to industrial maturity. Our
customers commission us with producing the
initial tonnes of a substance. Only two or three
companies in the world are able to do this. That
makes us into a sought-after partner,” explains
Managing Director Dr. Joachim Schulze, while
representatives from an American start-up sit
in the next room and negotiate future projects
with the developers from Leuna. In addition to
scaling and contract manufacturing, the EW
Biotech facility also facilitates research and
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