Evonik launches ‘innovation factory’ to accelerate R&D to market

Essen, Germany – Evonik has launched a new “innovation factory” unit to accelerate the transition of research projects into industrial applications, as part of a realignment of its strategic R&D activities.

The chemicals group said the unit succeeds its Creavis arm, which was described as Evonik's "strategic innovation unit and business incubator."

The new unit, said Evonik 24 March, will operate as an “entrepreneurial development unit” with a focus on speed, market relevance and application-driven innovation.

The group is “aligning its innovation system to significantly shorten the time from development to market launch,” said chief innovation officer Christian Eilbracht.

At the heart of the new unit is a 'mandatory timeframe': each programme is designed to be developed within an average of five years to the point where Evonik can transfer it to a 'business line' – ready for operations and production.

The 'innovation factory' will follow the principle of “building what’s next,” according to head of the unit Axel Kobus.

The German group will combine internal capabilities with external partnerships across academia, startups and industry to deliver “technically and commercially more resilient solutions” that meet “real market demands.”

The unit will focus on areas where it already has capabilities and where demand is growing, including biopolymers, biosurfactants and membrane technologies.

Among these, Evonik highlighted rhamnolipids as “highly effective yet exceptionally environmentally friendly” biosurfactants already used in cosmetics and cleaning products, with further applications under development.

The Essen-based group is also advancing a portfolio of biopolymers aimed at replacing fossil-based materials, alongside work on anion exchange membranes (AEM), which are “expected to play a key role in the green hydrogen economy.”

The innovation factory is part of a broader global R&D network, linking activities in Boston, Singapore and Shanghai to provide access to “new technologies, talent, and partnerships” across key innovation hubs.