October 12, 2012
Evonik expands commitmentto biotechnology (Press release)
Press release
Evonik Industries, one of the world''s leading manufacturers of specialty chemicals, plans to continue its commitment to biotechnology.
"Biotech opens up interesting opportunities for profitable growth in a range of business areas," says Patrik Wohlhauser, a member of the Executive Board. "It''s also giving Evonik''s growth strategy a stronger focus on sustainable development. In the Health & Nutrition Business Unit alone we are hoping for sales of EUR1 billion (US$1.3 billion) over the medium term for products made using biotechnology."
Evonik will be investing some EUR350 million (US$454 million) by 2014 to expand its Biolys？？ business. An amino acid used in animal feeds, Biolys？？ is a source of L-lysine produced via fermentation. Investments include construction of new L-lysine plants in Brazil and Russia capable of producing nearly 200,000 tonnes each year as well as a recently finished production expansion to 280,000 tonnes per year at its Blair site in North America.
The nexus of biotech research at Evonik is the company''s Halle-K？？nsebeck site in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, the site is home to experts who are continuing to develop amino acids for modern animal nutrition, as well as biotech methods for other Evonik business units. Applications for these methods include polymer production and the manufacture of active ingredients in cosmetics.
Peter Nagler, Chief Innovation Officer at Evonik, says, "Besides serving as an important part of the biotech platform of the entire company, Halle-K？？nsebeck is also closely linked to our strategic research in Marl, Germany. In Halle-K？？nsebeck we concentrate our expertise in designing industrial-scale fermentation processes."
A small research group called "Biotechnology" was established in Halle-K？？nsebeck in 1982 with the aim of producing L-lysine via fermentation. Today, biotech activities at this Evonik site (part of the Health & Nutrition Business Unit) include, among others, developing and optimising biotech production methods for the following amino acids used in animal nutrition: Biolys？？ (a source of L-lysine), ThreAMINO？？ (L-threonine) and TrypAMINO？？ (L-tryptophan).
Evonik, the creative industrial group from Germany, is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. Profitable growth and a sustained increase in the value of the company form the heart of the company''s corporate strategy. Its activities focus on the key megatrends of health, nutrition, resource efficiency and globalisation.
Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world. In fiscal 2011 more than 33,000 employees generated sales of around EUR14.5 billion (US$18.8 billion) and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of about EUR2.8 billion (US$3.6 billion).