Major Markets and Competitive Positions

In its four biggest sales-generating divisions, WACKER ranks among the world’s top three suppliers. And we are the global market leader for some products, such as VINNAPAS^® dispersible polymer powders for the construction industry. For the first time, Asia became the key sales region for our products in 2012, followed by Europe (including Germany) and the Americas.

Market Positions of WACKER’s Divisions

WACKER SILICONES ranks number 3 in the silicones market, with a leading market position in Europe. We are the global market leader for building-protection silicones. Due to their wide-ranging product properties, silicones are used in every major industry. The largest growth potential lies in Asia, where ever-higher living standards are boosting demand for silicone products.

WACKER POLYMERS is the world’s largest producer of dispersions and dispersible polymer powders based on vinyl acetate-ethylene. Importantly, we are the only company in the market to have a complete supply chain for dispersions and powders in Europe, the Americas and Asia. The largest growth potential lies in Asia. WACKER POLYMERS supplies not only the construction industry, but also the textile, adhesive, paint, surface-coating and carpet sectors.

WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS is the global market leader in cyclodextrins and cysteine, and in polyvinyl acetate solid resins for gumbase. In the field of bacterial pharmaceutical protein production, we hold small, but promising market positions, which we continue to expand.

WACKER POLYSILICON operates in an intensely competitive and high volume-growth environment, chiefly shaped by solar-industry demand for polysilicon and market trends in the global solar sector. WACKER remains a leading producer of hyperpure polycrystalline silicon for electronic and solar applications. In 2012, Nünchritz’s expansion stage 9 came fully on stream and there was further expansion of the Burghausen site. As a result, our total production capacity rose to 52,000 metric tons.

Siltronic is the world’s third-largest manufacturer of silicon wafers and other products for the semiconductor industry. Its customers include all the major global semiconductor companies, which account for over 80 percent of our sales in this segment.