Covestro is investing 100 million euros in its global R&D infrastructure to ensure competitiveness in a challenging environment. The supplier of high-performance materials is prioritizing the development of future technologies to transition to a fully circular economy. Covestro's strategy includes investing in innovation centers, digital capabilities, automated systems, and modernized equipment.
Sucheta Govil, CCO at Covestro: “Our investments in R&D are integral to our strategy of creating value for our customers. They are enabling us to expand and maintain our innovation pipeline at a high level. By this, we are the go-to partner for more sustainable solutions that help to meet the climate-neutrality targets of our customers. Thanks to this global innovation booster, we come even closer to our joint goal to become fully circular.”
Leverkusen's R&D facilities showcase global expertise in in-mold coating, with end-to-end digitalization facilitating technological advancements. This boosts efficiency in the automotive sector, enabling modern designs with high-quality surfaces, contributing to the demand for more efficient production.
Leverkusen invests in high-performance computers (HPCII) for circular economy innovation. These computers simulate chemical processes, enabling faster, sustainable research, energy efficiency, and improved cool chains in end products.
“Simulations of chemical processes are a key element in the development of recycling technologies and research on new molecule classifications,” said Torsten Heinemann, Head of Group Innovation & Sustainability at Covestro. “Moreover, laboratory digitalization enables test data to be recorded in higher quality and to a greater extent than is usual in analogue ways. Both help us to find the most possible and more sustainable solutions for our customers more quickly. Many developments in the field of recycling would be like looking for a needle in a haystack without digital R&D and simulations. “
Chemical recycling is a promising method for recovering large quantities of plastics that cannot be mechanically recycled or can only be recycled with considerable effort. Covestro has developed an innovative technology for chemolysis of flexible polyurethane foams from used mattresses, converting them back into renewed polyurethane building blocks.
Covestro's investments in modernization measures in its laboratories in Leverkusen drive application technology for coatings and adhesives in core industries like automotive and construction, as well as special areas like light guiding applications and medical applications. In the U.S., Covestro is investing in modernizations and technical upgrades across its Pittsburgh campus, viewing the U.S. market as innovative and high-potential. In Shanghai, China, investments in infrastructure and digitalization have echoed leading solution developments for automotive and electronics industries.
Source: Covestro
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