Evonik opens innovation center for cosmetics industry

• Evonik has invested close to €17 million in the new construction at the Goldschmidtstraße site in Essen, Germany. 
• Klaus Engel, Chairman of the Executive Board (CEO): "We want to strengthen our competitive position in the growing global market for cosmetic products."
• Evonik to sponsor junior professorship at the University of Duisburg-Essen and to fund ten new doctoral scholarships

Evonik Industries has opened a new innovation center for products for the cosmetics industry at its Goldschmidtstraße site in Essen. Some 90 employees of the Consumer Specialties Business Unit of Evonik will work in the innovation center, primarily for applications in the cosmetic industry. "The new innovation center and its developments will further reinforce our competitive position in the growing global market for cosmetic products, with particular focus on the requirements of our customers. Our employees in Essen have extensive experience, the necessary know-how, and creativity to meet the expectations of our customers," said Klaus Engel, Chairman of the Executive Board (CEO) of Evonik, at today's opening ceremony.

The new innovation center covers a total area of approximately 5,000 square meters on five floor levels and includes both laboratories and office space. A special separate workshop area is available for cooperative projects with customers. Overall, Evonik has invested close to €17 million in the new building, which was engineered in accordance with modern ecological standards.

Evonik sees research and development (R&D) as an important driver of sustainable growth. In 2012 R&D spending amounted to €393 million, which was 8 percent more than in the previous year. The company employs some 2,500 people at over 35 global research sites and is continuously expanding its R&D network. In late 2012, the Group also opened a research center for the coatings and paint industry in Essen.

Cooperation with the University of Duisburg-Essen intensified

At today's event, Evonik also stepped up its successful cooperation with the University of Duisburg-Essen with the sponsorship of a new junior professorship and funding for ten new doctoral scholarships. "The close cooperation with scientific institutions and universities at our sites is essential for us and supports the high pace of innovation," said Engel. In her own remarks, Svenja Schulze, Minister for Innovation, Science and Research in North Rhine-Westphalia, emphasized: "The commitment of Evonik represents a sustained boost for the Rhine-Ruhr scientific region." Professor Dr. Ulrich Radtke, president of the University of Duisburg-Essen, commented: "We’re very pleased to enter into this cooperation with a partner as creative as Evonik. This flagship project demonstrates how successfully science and industry can work together for mutual benefit."

The junior professorship in the department of chemistry is to be sponsored for a period of six years. It will focus primarily on macromolecular and interfacial chemistry, as these competencies play an important role for the Consumer Specialties Business Unit. Among other products, the unit manufactures cosmetic ingredients, emulsifiers, cosmetic oils, conditioners, and performance additives such as thickeners. Consumer Specialties alone launches some 60 new products every year.