Clariant opens Biotech Center in Planegg

• Over 6,000 square meters of ultra-modern lab facilities
• Around 100-strong team researching the development of sustainable products and processes based on renewables

Planegg, October 1, 2015 – Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, officially opened its new Group Biotechnology Research Center in Planegg near Munich today. In a ceremony attended by Ilse Aigner, the Bavarian Minister for Economic Affairs, Media, Energy and Technology, the key to the facility was symbolically handed over to CEO Hariolf Kottmann and the Head of Clariant's Group Biotechnology André Koltermann.

"Alongside the Clariant Innovation Center (CIC) in Frankfurt, the new Clariant Biotech Center (CBC) is another important global research facility for our company", emphasized Hariolf Kottmann in an address delivered to over 100 representatives from the worlds of politics and business. He went on to outline the importance of Bavaria, and in particular the greater Munich area, as a leading research and development powerhouse in the field of biotechnology.

Ilse Aigner: "Industrial biotechnology is one of the key industries of the 21st century. With Clariant located in Bavaria, we may claim to be home for one of the most outstanding international companies in this sector. The inauguration of this new Biotechnology Center in Planegg is visible testimony to the importance of Bavaria as a center of research."

The move was prompted by an expansion of the company's activities, with around 100 staff now employed at the CBC. The new building with its laboratory and office space of over 6000 square meters offers excellent conditions for research work. "Establishing a dedicated research center for biotechnology in its own building right at the heart of one of Europe's biggest biotech hubs is doing far more than just sending out a clear statement – it underpins Clariant's commitment to innovation, sustainability and profitable growth", explains André Koltermann.

Since 2006, the Group Biotechnology has successfully implemented projects in the field of renewable raw materials. The focus of this strategic unit is on the development of sustainable bio-based products and processes in the field of chemicals and biofuels.