Innovation hub for Evonik

Evonik has opened a $2.5 million ‘innovation hub’ at its site in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Described as part of its broader globalisation strategy for RD&I, this comprises several testing and processing labs, a pilot plant and a newly designed collaboration space “to support a hybrid and creative work environment”. In all, it will create 50 jobs for scientists, engineers and lab technicians, in addition to 300 already there.

“The new hub will transform the Allentown site into our premier centre for research, business and innovation in North America,” commented CFO Ute Wolf at the ribbon cutting ceremony. In all, it will create 50 jobs for scientists, engineers and lab technicians, in addition to 300 already at the site.

Among the facilities is a high performance polymers lab for the processing and testing of plastics for 3D printing, medical implants, or performance foams in airplanes or cars. Another lab will formulate and test additives for industrial coatings and there is also a polyurethane spray foam testing and emission chamber.

Separately, as part of its ongoing focus on speciality chemicals, Evonik has agreed to sell RheinPerChemie (RPC) to Mumbai-based Calibre Chemicals. Based in Rheinfelden Germany, RPC makes ammonium and sodium persulphates while Calibre is one of India’s largest manufacturesr of potassium persulphate, perchlorates and iodine derivatives.