Innovation Award

Outstanding Solutions for Tough Problems

With the in-house Innovation Award, the former Degussa honored the creativity and engagement of its researchers whose excellent work makes valuable contributions to the competitive strength of the corporation. The award is endowed with € 40,000 and is granted annually in the categories of "New products", "New or enhanced processes" as well as "New applications".

A jury headed by Management Board member Dr. Alfred Oberholz determines the winners according to the following criteria:

• Originality
• Creativity
• Innovation level
• Economical and ecological advantages
• Sustainability
• Customer benefits; benefits for society

The winners of the 2006 Innovation Awards

Category: New Products
AdNano^® ITO: Transparent antistatic coatings and heat-absorbing polymers - “clearly” a winner  
Dr. Rainer Hahn, Dr. Sven Hill, Christiane Schmitz, Berthold Trageser, Geoffrey Varga, Willibald Wombacher, Guido Zimmermann - Aerosil & Silanes

Category: New or Improved Processes
Technology Switch at Rexim from a Chemical Process to a Fermentation-Based Production Platform for Specialty Amino Acids
Dr. Ulrich Becker, Dr. Stefan Buchholz, Katharina Didzus, Dr. Robert Gerstmeir, Dr. Andreas Karau, Patrick Stier, Dr. Stefan Verseck, Claudius Wege (now in Specialty Acrylics) - Creavis Technologies & Innovation/ProFerm Project House
Jean Debas, Prof. Dr. Karlheinz Drauz (now in Corporate Innovation Management), Dr. Matthias Kottenhahn, Friedhelm Merz, Manfred Müller (now in Central Procurement), Lawrence Portugues, Gérard Richet, Rainer Zidov - Exclusive Synthesis & Catalysts/Rexim
Dr. Brigitte Bathe, Erika Kohutovičova, Ladislav Richtr - Feed Additives/Fermas
Kai Boldt - Process Technology & Engineering Service Unit

Category: New Applications for Existing Products
First Skin-Activated pH-Dependent Microcapsule Delivery System for Cosmetics
Dr. Saskia Klee, Yvonne Schiemann, Dr. Jürgen Meyer, Dr. Peter Lersch, Dr. Christian Weitemeyer, Willy Klipp, Dr. Mike Farwick, Betty Santonnat - Care & Surface Specialties
Dr. Christian Meier - Specialty Acrylics
Horst Perl - Process Technology & Engineering Service Unit
Dr. Steffen Hasenzahl - Aerosil & Silanes