我们的动力
毫无疑问:塑料制品是 21 世纪的王牌材料。如果没有塑料制品,对于地球现在面对和未来即将面对的主要挑战,我们就无法找到解决方案——比如气候变化、流动性加强和城市化加剧的问题。塑料制品性质独特、功能多样、硬度适中,因此我们能够借此创造出让我们的生活更可持续、更舒适、更安全的技术。
在聚合物这个纷繁的领域中,科思创是一家重要的生产商,它挑战了化学基原材料开发和生产的极限,而这些材料正是汽车业、建筑业和电子工业等成长型行业中使用的塑料制品的基础材料。不断增长的 10000 多种产品投资组合加上日益强大的国际研发设施网,我们的创新能力显而易见。
然而,对我们来说,创新不仅仅是开发全新的材料和产品。我们也在以客户为导向的服务、新型商业模式和过程效率上设定了标准。我们接纳各式各样的创新,只要这些创新能够创造新的价值,无论是成长、利润、社会和环境收益,还是理想情况下,所有这些方面的组合。
科思创的创新领域
产品
我们的材料创新成果造就或优化了无数每天围绕在我们身边的产品和技术。通常,这些成果是通过替换一个传统的元件,而使整个应用更加可持续或者更加有效。比如我们为汽车涂料开发的新型固化剂。因为其碳元素来源于生物基可再生材料,而不是传统的化石燃料,所以它能降低涂料的碳足迹,从而整体上降低车辆的碳足迹。
以客户为中心
以客户为中心的前瞻性服务是我们对创新的广泛的理解中另一个重要的方面。以我们的技术客户服务为例,在技术客户服务中,为了促进客户业务的发展,我们会帮助他们优化生产任务。或者是我们的创新性物流理念:科思创会通过考虑发货过程中的外部因素,如极端气候条件,对客户的订单管理过程提供支持。从而尽可能提高供货可靠性,防止遭遇瓶颈妨碍整个进度。
商业模式
科思创的创新也体现在新型的商业模式上。通常,大家都不曾想到的不是革命性的灵感,而是简单的东西。比如起源于时尚行业的创新性商业模式。科思创利用适合用于衣物和鞋具的聚氨酯涂料开发了一个纺织品编织过程。比传统的方法更加安全,且对环境无害。这个过程是一个新的整体项目的一部分,该项目将整个价值链——供应商、制造商和品牌所有者——连接了起来。
过程
科思创通过其所谓的功能创新来优化自己的流程。比如,我们已经开发出自己的能量管理系统,以尽可能节约能源的方式管理我们的生产工厂。因此,我们公司已经在每台设备上降低了平均百分之十的能源消耗。
Covestro and Team Sonnenwagen
Among other things, Covestro is developing material solutions for electromobility – because global challenges such as climate change and increasing resource consumption require new concepts for the mobility of the future.
Covestro has been the main sponsor of the Sonnenwagen team for many years and is a proud partner of the solar car of the same name. The vehicles, developed by students of RWTH Aachen University and FH Aachen, have already taken part in numerous races. The models can reach speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour. Last but not least, the use of materials is crucial for the success of the Sonnenwagen. Lightweight, strength and aerodynamics play a role in this. In addition, the cars must be able to withstand strong mechanical vibrations as well as extreme climatic conditions such as heat, humidity and high UV radiation. For this reason, Covestro is sending innovative raw materials into the race, which can be found, among other things, in the seat shell and the casing of the battery.
Novel insulating foams improve the cold chain of food
A good third of all food spoils on the way from the harvest to the consumer due to insufficient refrigeration. Covestro manufactures the components for rigid polyurethane foams that can be used to maintain the cold chain in a more energy-efficient way and reduce the deterioration rate of foodstuffs. The material also helps to make refrigerators more energy-efficient.
This is because such insulating foams insulate very efficiently – and are therefore used worldwide to insulate warehouses, trucks, supermarket refrigerated counters as well as refrigerators and freezers in private households. Covestro is constantly working on the further development of the material: With a new microfoam, we have succeeded in reducing the already tiny pores by up to 40 percent, thus increasing the insulating performance of the foam by up to 10 percent.