Digital edition 1/2025

Driving Forward

High-tech polymers in batteries help electric cars achieve peak performance - Pollutants: How contaminated ground can be cleaned up in situ - Skin care: Sustainable cosmetics with biotechnology

Let's go

A hand in a blue rubber glove holds an empty Petri dish.

Energy Transition

Solid Energy

Researchers are working hard to create more powerful batteries for electric mobility. Solid-state batteries are one approach because they enable significantly extended range and are safer. Evonik has developed a building block for polymer electrolytes that could overcome the disadvantages of existing solid-state batteries

Electric car driving on country road in front of wind turbines, with the continents depicted as blue silhouettes.

Mobility

Rules for electric traffic

Electric mobility is picking up speed worldwide. Governments rely on various regulatory measures to manage their markets and drive the transition to sustainable transportation solutions

A road sign in front of a traffic light showing green, with a yield sign attached. On the sign, which features a right-pointing arrow, it says: E-Mobility.

Mobility

Why Europe Lags in EV Shift

According to Maximilian Fichtner, it’s only a matter of time before gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles will be replaced by electric cars. In this interview, the renowned battery expert explains why Chinese storage technology is faster and more powerful—and why Europe is in danger of missing the boat

Aerial view of the site, with buildings at the edges and a clear area in the center.

Soil Protection

Regaining Ground

Housing is now being built in many places where factories or barracks once stood. However, cleaning contaminated sites is time-consuming and expensive. Various substances from Evonik convert pollutants in the ground into harmless products or bind them in place—and offer a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to traditional remediation methods

Two female hands open a cream jar from the left. A woman's hand takes something out of the jar from the right with one finger.

Care & Cosmetics

Cultivating relationships

Cosmetics don’t just make us look and feel good, they are increasingly eco-friendly too. Through innovation, partnerships and acquisitions, Evonik is reinforcing its focus on biobased ingredients and sustainable production. Now, with beauty giant L’Oréal, the company has invested in the French startup Abolis, which uses biotechnology to produces molecules for care products.

Guillaume Climeau talks with Bernd Kaltwaßer

Care & Cosmetics

“We share the same vision”

L’Oréal is the world’s leading cosmetics manufacturer. Guillaume Climeau, the company’s Head of Business Development and Alliance Management for R&I Open Innovation, explains what sustainability and the tripartite collaboration with Abolis and Evonik mean for L’Oréal.

The ruins of Tulum overlooking the Caribbean Sea on the Riviera Maya (the coastal area of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico). The ruins are located on a cliff, with a palm tree in front, the turquoise blue sea and a sandy beach to the right.

Evonik Country

Mexico: Fair to sunny

What’s the secret behind Mexico’s appeal? The combination of a lively culture and a favorable climate—factors that also have an economic impact. The country between the USA and Central America is experiencing rapid technological and industrial development. Evonik is supporting this upswing with innovative products and solutions

A gloved hand holds up an ampoule labeled “cancer vaccine”

SDG

Fighting Cancer

One of the great hopes of cancer research is mRNA. With its help, it should be possible to fight cancer in a much more targeted way.

A transport drone flies over a big city.

Foresight

Flying free

A gift from on high: The low-altitude economy may make deliveries by air a reality. In just a few years, drones could complement delivery vans, cargo planes, and helicopters. Tests for unmanned aerial transport solutions are in full swing

In my Element

"Gallium Melts in Your Hand"

Marcel Häfele is a YouTuber who focuses on chemistry and other natural sciences. He is particularly fascinated by the properties of gallium.