Chemistry (Copy)

The chemical industry today is still primarily based on petroleum, a fossil raw material. Existing fully integrated modes of production have until now countered comprehensive structural transformation. The topic of sustainability, however, has become increasingly important, as a number of initiatives toward green chemistry have shown. Companies apply bio-based approaches above all when they save costs or improve product quality.

FACTS & FIGURES

No. of companies:
2.130 (2013)

Employees:
444.800 (2014)

Sales:
€191 billion (2014)

(Source: VDI/Destatis)

Examples of bioeconomy:
Bioplastics, bio-based platform chemicals, bio-based lubricants

The German chemical industry, with approximately 2,100 companies, is one of the most important basic pillars of the German economy. More than 400,000 are employed in this sector, and major, internationally active chemical groups such as BASF and Evonik have their headquarters in Germany. These companies also represent the majority of annual sector sales, at 186 billion euros in 2012. The product portfolio of the chemical industry is enormous and includes more than 30,000 products. The automobile industry is its largest customer, with around 40%.