Key Events in 2022
2022
April
WACKER became a partner of the German Government in its pandemic preparedness plan. This project aims to provide vaccines to the public more quickly in the future. To make this happen, WACKER started construction on a new facility in Halle for manufacturing vaccines based on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA).
May
The annual shareholders’ meeting of Wacker Chemie AG approved the biggest dividend distribution in the company’s history. With a dividend of 8 euros per share, the Group distributed around 50 percent of its net income for 2021.
A new Innovation Center was opened in Ann Arbor, Michigan, usa. Biotech and silicone specialties are being developed in this research facility, which also serves as the headquarters of our subsidiary wacker Chemical Corporation.
July
In Panagarh, India, WACKER opened a production site for manufacturing silicone rubber and silicone rubber compounds for electromobility, medical engineering and electricity supply. The site is part of the Group’s new growth strategy. Some 100 new jobs will be created during the first expansion phase.
A Spanish-German project team won the Alexander Wacker Innovation Award. The winning researchers developed a substantially more efficient fermentation process for producing L-cysteine. They have set new standards for converting glucose into cysteine and they achieve improved yields.
A symbolic ground-breaking ceremony launched the expansion of our Technical Competence Center for mRNA actives in Halle. At the Weinberg Campus, four production lines are being initiated for active ingredients based on mRNA, such as vaccines for coronavirus. Production capacity in Halle will more than triple, with the number of employees more than doubling. wacker is investing more than 100 million euros in these projects.
August
75 years ago, WACKER started working with silicones, the first European company to do so. Today, these high-performance plastics are omnipresent in our everyday lives.
The founding of the TUM WACKER Institute for Industrial Biotechnology has strengthened the partnership between the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and WACKER. The goal is to further develop research in industrial biotechnology at the highest international level and to work on specialty chemicals and active ingredients sourced from renewable raw materials.
September
Burghausen’s Vocational Training Center (BBiW) celebrated its 50th anniversary. This facility helps the next generation of skilled professionals build up their knowledge base – not just in chemical processes and complex integrated production technology, but also in teamwork skills and the digital transformation.
October
At the 22nd Trade Fair for Plastics and Rubber, K 2022, WACKER presented silicone and polymer-based solutions for sustainable applications. WACKER has been an exhibitor at K, which marked its 70th year, since 1952.
A sustainability prize was awarded for the first time for projects aimed at achieving the Group’s sustainability targets. The WACKER Net Zero Award of 10,000 euros went to a project team from Burghausen and Nünchritz for their improvements to the process of manufacturing siloxane, the most important starter product for silicones.
November
Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, visited the Nünchritz site to learn about how it sources its energy and about the chemical industry’s path to net zero. He commented that WACKER’s innovative polysilicon production was leading-edge.
Christian Hartel was part of a 12-member business delegation accompanying German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on an official visit to China. Prime Minister Li gave a banquet for the German delegation, during which the WACKER CEO spoke about the long history of successful business relations between China and Germany, as well as about the necessity for equal treatment of domestic and foreign companies.
The 17th Asian-Pacific Conference of German Business (APK) focused on diversification and sustainability. The Indian-Pacific region is an important area for both of these key issues. WACKER has major company sites and customers in the area. CEO Christian Hartel was one of the participants accompanying Federal Minister Robert Habeck to the apk in Singapore.
Executive Board members Christian Hartel and Angela Wörl participated in the topping-out ceremony for the new headquarters of the WACKER Group in Munich’s “Werksviertel” district. With its open-plan building design, the new company HQ represents a modern corporate culture that emphasizes transparency, communication and personal initiative.
