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Bayer' s investment in R&D to
touch Euro 3-bn
Global
megatrends such as population growth, demographic changes, ecology and
sustainability are presenting significant opportunities for
innovation-focussed companies like the Bayer group, according to Bayer
Management Board Chairman Dr. Marijn Dekkers. He was addressing 140
journalists at Bayer’s "Perspective on Innovation 2012" press forum
in Leverkusen, Germany recently. "Innovation is the only way to address
the global challenges that exist at the beginning of the third
millennium," he said. "To us, innovation always means generating
value for our customers and society as a whole," he added.
Bayer
will invest around Euro 3-bn in research and development this year alone. The
Group employs nearly 13,000 research scientists worldwide, whose work
resulted in more than 600 patent applications last year.
Advanced pharmaceutical projects
Bayer
is currently seeing positive developments particularly with the new product
candidates from its clinical phase-III pharmaceuticals pipeline.
Dr.
Dekkers said further crucial milestones had been reached in the past months.
He referred to recent progress made with the anticoagulant ‘Xarelto’, the
cancer drugs ‘Stivarga’ and radium-223 dichloride (Alpharadin), the eye
medicine aflibercept (VEGF Trap-Eye) and riociguat to treat pulmonary
hypertension. Assuming Bayer is granted marketing authorisation for these
products, they have yearly sales potential of more than Euro 5.5-bn, the
Bayer CEO said.
Increasing food production
Dr.
Dekkers explained that plant health is a very important issue. He said the
CropScience subgroup already offers a balanced portfolio of new products and
product candidates, including ‘Xpro’ and ‘Luna’ to control fungal infections
and the insecticide ‘Sivanto’ for application primarily in fruits, vegetables
and various field crops. Other products in the subgroup’s portfolio are
‘Votivo’ for biological protection against nematodes (small worms that damage
roots) and a new variety from the ‘FiberMax’ family of cotton seeds that
offers both herbicide tolerance and insect resistance and thus helps to
considerably improve harvest yields, Dr. Dekkers explained.
In
light of societal acceptance of biologically grown food products, biologicals
will play a key role in the future of crop protection. Bayer is keen to be
represented in this field from the beginning, Dr. Dekkers remarked. Although
Bayer is already represented on the market with biological products such as the
recently launched ‘Votivo’ brand, the acquisition of AgraQuest now provides
the company with a starting point for further innovation.
According
to the Bayer CEO, CropScience is pursuing numerous promising projects in the
areas of crop protection, biologicals and seed. With peak sales potential in
excess of Euro 4-bn, these new products are expected to be introduced to the
market between 2011 and 2016.
Improving production processes
Dr.
Dekkers noted that the Material-Science business has recognised improvements
to production processes as one of the most important keys to greater
sustainability. Bayer is converting its energy-intensive chlorine production
to a process that lowers energy requirements by some 30 per cent.
"Efficiency and cost-effectiveness go hand in hand in the long term.
What’s more, using less energy also improves our carbon footprint," he
said. The same applies to gas phase phosgenation in the production of TDI,
one of the precursors for polyurethanes, he added. Dr. Dekkers referred to the
‘Dream Production’ project as a particularly fascinating and innovative
development. Here the concentration of CO2 can be additionally
reduced by using an innovative technology to convert it from a waste product
into a raw material for plastics production.
New approaches in innovation
Dr.
Dekkers emphasised that Bayer has a unique starting position thanks to its
extensive expertise with respect to the health of people, animals and plants.
"Bayer is the only global company to combine all three under one
roof". It is from this very position that Bayer is breaking new ground
in terms of innovation too. Thanks to significant progress in the
biosciences, there is a steady flow of new findings about fundamental
cellular mechanisms in people, animals and plants, the Bayer Chairman said,
explaining that these mechanisms can be very similar across various species
and can thus enable new research approaches. Dr. Dekkers said Bayer has
therefore created the framework its researchers need to work together on
innovations – systematically and much more intensively across subgroup
boundaries.
"One
thing is clear: we are committed to innovation. It is the only way to
safeguard not only the company’s future, but also – in more global terms –
that of our planet’s entire population," summed up Dr. Dekkers. However,
he cautioned, innovation can only thrive under certain conditions. According
to Dr. Dekkers, innovation is not just a matter of money – it also requires
curiosity, a will to change and constant improvement. "This is something
that needs to be taught and encouraged. Good training is therefore essential
for each and every innovation location," he said. "However, it is
also important for society to be open to new ideas. We must not live in a
society that is afraid of taking risks and grasping opportunities." Dr.
Dekkers said these abilities and attitudes must be promoted – a task that
requires a combined effort by politicians, schools and industry.
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CHEMICAL WEEKLY 27 NOVEMBER 2012 ISSUE
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