magazine for business and investment - Innovatives Niedersachsen

Chemicals
Niedersachsen Global 39
Exports of chemical-pharmaceutical products by
countries 2011 EUR million (Source: VCI)
World exports of the chemical-pharmaceutical
industry 2011 EUR million (Source: VCI)
Other
200
NAFTA
9 %
5 %
150
152
135
100
Other
Europe
Asia
12 %
14 %
60 %
EU 27
100
50
0
Germany
USA
Belgium
China
France
Netherlands
Great Britain
Switzerland
Ireland
Japan
73 71 66 61 63 58 57
by Katrin Langemann
With the export of chemical products being worth over €150 billion
in 2011, Germany is the world champion in chemical exports for
the ninth consecutive time. The total share of the global chemical
export market was a good eleven percent and this ranks Germany
in first place, above the USA, Belgium and China. According to
Dr. Utz Tillmann, Director-General of the German Chemical Industry
Association (VCI), “The central role in the industrial network,
the high level of innovation, intensive cooperation with academic
institutions and science plus the orientation of product strategies
to mega-trends and sustainability are the decisive strengths where
our sector scores highly. Additional factors are the very diverse
nature of Germany’s small and medium-sized enterprises, a pragmatic
partnership between management and employees and the
successful Chemicals Park model which is being imitated more and
more abroad as a site concept.”
In Niedersachsen the chemicals industry is one of the ten largest
manufacturing sectors. About 50,000 people are employed in
the chemicals sector (including rubber and plastics). In 2011 revenue
from the chemicals/pharmaceuticals industry was approximately
€10.5 billion which represents an increase of 10.3% over the previous
year. Overall in 2011 Niedersachsen’s share represents a good
5.7% of total revenue of the German chemicals/pharmaceuticals
industry. In the words of Renate Klingenberg, Deputy Managing
Director VCI Nord and Managing Director of ChemCoast e.V., “A
key success factor for the chemicals industry in Niedersachsen is its
central role in an integrated value chain. From the manufacture of
basic and speciality chemicals through the construction of a wind
power station or a car, the key players are networked with each
other locally. A good infrastructure and well-qualified specialist
personnel are also the strengths of this region.”
Due to raw material availability, favourable infrastructures and transportation
options primarily through seaports and inland ports as
well as mature industrial structures, the chemicals industry in Niedersachsen
manifests very good conditions in these locations. In 2012
Süderelbe AG initiated the two development projects “stade-project
2021” and “deltaland” to generate a regional growth and an
employment momentum for Stade and Bomlitz.
One of Niedersachsen’s biggest chemical producers is the
company Dow with its two sites in Stade and Bomlitz/Industrial Park
Walsrode. According to Ralf Brinkmann, President and Chairman of
Dow Germany “Niedersachsen is a high-tech state in which many
excellent innovations for sustainable development are created and
brought to market maturity. This is just the right environment for the
further development of our speciality chemicals portfolio. One good
example is the subject of renewable energies. This is a grow-ing
market which is very attractive for Dow. In Stade we manufacture
epoxy resins for carbon fibre reinforced composite materials (CFRP),
which is used for rotor blades of modern wind power stations.”
Most rotor blades of actual wind power stations were frequently
produced out of glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP). For larger,
more powerful wind turbine systems with heavy-duty rotor blades
and a bigger span the GFRP materials have reached their limits.
The alternative is CFRP - it consists of a support structure made of
carbon fiber which is “baked” with epoxy resin. The CFRP material
is as resilient and flexible as metal but very light. The expertise and
competencies related to CFRP material are brought together at CFK-
Valley Stade e.V., a network with over 100 international members
including Dow – one of the world’s leading manufacturers of epoxy
resins. The epoxy resins are also used to manufacture aircraft and
automotive parts, sports equipment, electronic components and