Sustainability Report 2021

Pushing the boundaries of possibility

Our constant curiosity and specialist approach drive our partnerships and bring new ideas to life. How can we contribute to a sustainable future and overcome societal challenges? Through the positive power of science! And with the combined expertise of universities and businesses.

At eye level

Partnership between our company and TU Darmstadt

We are convinced that we can provide important scientific impetus with our diverse teams and individual perspectives. We are united by the goal of creating value for society.

Till Langner Head of Sustainability, Science & Technology Relations, Germany

We use the Sustainability Hub to intensively address the topic of sustainability in our research. This enables us to contribute together to main­taining a high quality of life on our planet.

Professor
Jens Schneider
Vice President, Transfer and Inter­national Affairs at TU Darmstadt, Germany

Research connects

We've been collaborating with the Technical University of Darmstadt for some time now. Through our joint research platform, the Sustainability Hub, we've made this partnership even stronger. For an additional five years, we will carry out joint research on new technologies and foster visionary projects to make life more joyful and sustainable.

It wasn't easy to narrow down the 27 exciting project submissions to just four on which we will work together with the university.

Gerhard Schwall, Project Lead Sustainability Hub, Germany

The future of plastic recycling

Dealing with plastic responsibly is key to ensuring a sustainable future. So far, frequently used plastics, such as polyethylene and polypropylene, have been very difficult to integrate into a circular economy due to their chemical structure. Together with TU Darmstadt, we are now counting on a platform technology for enzyme-mediated plastic recycling.

Breaking down plastics with enzymes has a major benefit. This method can also be used to recycle materials made of multiple types of plastic.

Professor Nico Bruns, Department of Chemistry, TU Darmstadt, Germany

Energy-efficient computing

We are developing an energy-efficient tool to evaluate materials with which computer architectures can consume the least energy possible. We are thus shaping digitalization sustainably.

With brainpower

With artificial neurons and synapses, tremendous quantities of data can be processed efficiently and intuitively. This could enable artificial intelligence applications, including the simulation of diseases and treatments.

Boundaries of possibility?

A world without computers is unimaginable. But how will we satisfy their demand for energy in the future? By 2030, data traffic within electronic devices and between data centers will account for 20% of global energy demand. This requires even more efficient hardware. One project with TU Darmstadt investigates computer architectures that emulate the structure and function of the human brain.

Neuromorphic architectures imi­tate the brain: They are capable of learning and can perform complex cognitive tasks – with energy consumption of just 20 W.

Stephan Dertinger, Electronics, USA

Contribution to our strategic goals 1 and 3

Partnerships help us create sustainable innovations and technology for our customers and tackle global challenges such as resource scarcity.

read more

Contribution to SDG 17

We are collaborating with a wide array of strong partners to drive sustainable development within​ our company and beyond.

read more