On July 14, Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.com) held the inauguration ceremony for a new silanes competence center at its Rheinfelden, Germany site, thereby continuing its expansion in research and development in the area of silane technology. The specialty chemicals company invested a low two-digit-million euro amount in the construction project. The 100 employees now have new workplaces in the 3,500 m2 building. It took two years to construct the four-story competence center, which contains state-of-the-art laboratories.
In his inauguration speech, Klaus Engel, chairman of the Executive Board of Evonik Industries, emphasized the importance of research and development. “Innovation is a significant driver of Evonik’s growth and an important pillar of our corporate strategy. However, the ability to create new products is not only extremely important for our Group. For Germany, as one of the leading industrial nations, innovations are vital to secure jobs and also for the prosperity of our country.”
As well as R&D, the new competence center will also be home to the Applied Technology, Analytics, and Quality Management departments. “We have created optimum working conditions with short distances between the workplaces, which favors collaboration and encourages employees to share ideas and experiences. This will enable us to create customized solutions for our customers even faster and more efficiently,” says Johannes Ohmer, member of the Board of Management Evonik Resource Efficiency GmbH.
Demand for innovative specialty silanes is high in all markets. For example, the silanes protect buildings, bridges, and monuments against corrosion, make smartphones more efficient and enable fuel-saving tires and durable paints.
The new research center fits perfectly into Evonik’s integrated silane production system. Silane research has been carried out at this site for more than 80 years (the first patent for a silane was granted here in 1934). Evonik is continuing this tradition with its investment in the new laboratory building.
Evonik produces silanes worldwide at sites in Germany, Belgium, China, and the U.S. The Group also operates laboratories to provide applied technology support and regional specialized research in Germany, China, India, Japan, and the U.S. The portfolio includes a wide range of chlorosilanes as well as organofunctional and sulfurfunctional silanes.