R&D fit for future growth
A carbon neutral economy by 2050 will require further adoption of clean mobility solutions and renewable energy sources for electricity such as hydrogen and other alternative fuels with zero carbon footprint (synthetic fuels, e-fuels, biofuels, etc.). Clean cities with zero local emission and with zero-waste streams are the ultimate goal. The evolution towards zero- waste streams will put even more emphasis on circular economy to address resource scarcity in all smart sectors (mobility, IoT, Industry 5.0, etc.).
“Growing our technical competences for our current markets and expanding that know-how into new markets, is the basis of our future success.”
–An Steegen, CTO
Technology innovation and differentiation remains key for our future growth.
Innovation is value creation through knowledge. We continuously strengthen our in-house competence expertise in metallurgy, chemistry and material science, while constantly expanding our external collaboration network.
Our core competences provide fundamental insights about materials, their critical properties, and how they can be tuned to drive performance. A deep- rooted fascination for how materials function at an atomic scale in their respective applications allows us to develop predictive power for their efficient and targeted improvement.
Our forward-looking approach for materials R&D is therefore based more than ever on expanding our expertise in the synthesis of novel materials, their modeling, advanced characterization, and testing by means of relevant proxies that enable fast and reliable feedback loops.
In collaboration with a world-class research institution, for example, we develop optimized catalyst materials with unique features, supported by highly advanced materials characterization, such as unique solid-state magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This technology is applied for studying the local structures and electronic properties of battery materials as a function of their state of charge. This work takes many years to materialize but is a breeding ground for ideas, insights, novel materials and corresponding IP. Our ambition for the future is to steadily grow our portfolio of collaborative programs with research institutes and universities worldwide that focus on measuring and understanding materials functionality, leading to better product design.
Umicore supports open innovation and the creation of materials technologies through joint development programs focusing on rechargeable batteries, catalysis or digital connectivity. In 2019 we structured our venture capital approach to enable selective direct investments in start-up companies with which we have such collaborations.
