Evonik has agreed to buy Infinitec Activos, which is based at Montornés del Vallès near Barcelona supplies delivery systems for cosmetic active ingredients, including its Cosmetic Drone proprietary technology and its new polylactic-co-glycolic acid-based delivery system. The natural-based raw material producer, Naturethic, is also part of the deal.
We sum up the latest developments in one of the industry's hottest fields
There have been multiple recent announcements across the world about investments in cleaner forms of hydrogen. These mainly refer to ‘green hydrogen’ produced by electrolysis, though also ‘blue hydrogen’, which is made from natural gas in a reforming process, in which CO2 emissions are captured for storage.
Evonik is among the seven companies with operations in Germany that have launched the GET H2 alliance, which says that it “aims to create the basis of a European infrastructure for green hydrogen” by 2024. The others are BP, Nowega, OGE, RWE, Salzgitter Flachstahl and Thyssengas.
Consumer products giant Unilever has announced plans to source all of the carbon-based materials in its cleaning and laundry products from renewable or recycled sources, thus throwing down the gauntlet to chemical suppliers. According to Unilever, this will cut the carbon footprint of its product formulations by up to 20%, since the chemicals it uses in cleaning and account for 46% – of that footprint. The company’s most famous brands include Persil, Omo, Domestos, Cif and Sunlight.
Evonik has acquired the Porocel Group, which has developed a technology for the rejuvenation of desulfurisation catalysts in a $210 million deal. This deal is scheduled to close by the end of 2020, subject to regulatory approval.
Executive board chairman Christian Kullmann commented: “This acquisition is the next logical step in the strategic development of our portfolio. Our focus is on stable and high-margin speciality chemicals.”
Skin care giant Beiersdorf and Evonik have agreed a research partnership to develop sustainable raw materials for personal care products via artificial photosynthesis, using CO2 as the starting material, along with water, solar energy and bacteria. The two companies described this part of their ongoing efforts to reduce their carbon footprints and becoming carbon-positive.
Evonik, which is one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical CDMOs, has announced the €25 million first stage of a long-term programme to expand API and advanced intermediates capacity at its sites in Dossenheim and Hanau, Germany. This should be completed by mid-2021 and the whole project should be finalised prior to 2024.
