Innovation Strategy Evonik Enters into a Strategic Partnership with the University of Tokyo

Evonik Industries and the University of Tokyo plan to work together closely in selected fields in the future and have sealed a strategic partnership for this purpose. Strengthening innovation activities in economically attractive regions supports Evonik’s growth strategy.

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Essen/Germany, Tokyo/Japan – Prof. Dr. Noboru Harata, Director General of Division of University Corporate Relations (DUCR), the University of Tokyo, Ulrich Sieler, Senior representative of the Evonik Group in Japan, and Dr. Peter Nagler, Chief Innovation Officer at Evonik, have now signed a corresponding contract at the launch of the scientific forum, Evonik Meets Science, in Tokyo.

“We are very interested in sharing knowledge and our research results with society. Collaborations with industry are a great way to accomplish this,” emphasized Prof. Dr. Shigeo Kagami, General Manager of the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, DUCR. “We therefore welcome the partnership with Evonik as a leading specialty chemicals company.”

The University of Tokyo is one of the most important universities in the world and enjoys an excellent reputation around the world. The university, which employs 1,267 full professors, 901 associate professors and boasts 27,998 students (14,120 undergraduates and 13,878 graduates), has produced numerous prime ministers and Nobel Prize winners. “The strategic partnership with such an excellent university is an important step for us in expanding our research activities in Japan and in Asia,” said Sieler.

The University of Tokyo is now Evonik’s fourth strategic university partner. Such partnerships already exist with the University of Minnesota in the USA, the renowned Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) in China, and with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, in the fall of 2013, Evonik signed a memorandum of understanding regarding a strategic partnership with the Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), the leading major national research institution in Singapore.

“These partnerships are an important tool for our international innovation strategy,” Nagler stated. “Networking worldwide with top institutions gives us access to scientific excellence and researchers with outstanding educational backgrounds.”

Strategic partnerships with universities in all important regions of the world create a framework for Evonik for joint research projects and a regular sharing of research trends in science and industry. “Our customers also profit from this.” Nagler clarified. “By combining various technical concepts and competences with culturally diverse approaches, we can expect completely new ideas and concepts.” Furthermore, Evonik gets involved in lectures and offers a wide variety of internships, and master and doctoral thesis topics to educate and support the next generation of scientists.

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