Markus Steilemann

One step further towards sustainable battery value chain in Europe!

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#WeStandForValues – BASF is one of more than 30 German companies and organisations taking a clear stand for diversity, openness, and tolerance. Because we believe that these values are the cornerstones of our society, our economy, innovation, and success - and of a united Europe.   🧑🏽‍🤝‍🧑🏻Whenever they are challenged by populism and hatred, it's up to us to stand up for values. Not just today on Europe Day, but every day.  👉🏽 Learn more about this powerful business alliance: https://lnkd.in/ey6P4bUv

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Crafting a new strategy is always exciting—it lays the foundation for a company’s future. During my time at BASF in Corporate Strategic Development, I had the opportunity to work on numerous strategies, and I’ve seen firsthand how “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” According to Harvard Business Review, 60-90% of strategies fail, not because the strategy was flawed, but due to challenges in execution—especially when it comes to stakeholder alignment. A McKinsey study shows that only 8% of decision success is based on data analysis, while more than 50% depends on the quality of decision-making. A crucial part of this process is involving key leaders from the start. Without doing so, you risk the "Not invented here" syndrome, where middle management—who are key to execution—either don’t understand or fail to connect with the strategy. Interestingly, even when strategy roll-outs create excitement among executives, the reality behind closed doors can be different. Often, middle management hesitates to voice concerns, not wanting to be the "party pooper" or jeopardize their career. Unfortunately, this leads to poor implementation—no surprise there. To avoid these common pitfalls, two key actions are essential: 1️⃣ Involve key parts of the organization from the very beginning. 2️⃣ Encourage middle management to manage upwards by speaking up about potential challenges and areas for improvement. This upward communication is critical for success. Managing upwards and empowering downwards is a key success factor for building trust within the organization. When everyone has a voice, you create the agility needed to navigate uncertain times. In my area of responsibility, we successfully led numerous cultural transformation initiatives, resulting in high growth rates, exceptional customer satisfaction, and strong employee engagement. The key to our success? A Growth Mindset and a strong focus on managing upwards. This is how to #MakeYourCompanyAPowerhouse

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Despite current challenges in the automotive market, there is a world of opportunities ahead, particularly in sustainably advantaged solutions and E-mobility. Roald Johannsen, PPG's Vice President, Automotive Coatings, EMEA, discusses the latest trends and opportunities in an interview with European Coatings. Discover how coatings play a crucial role in overcoming industry challenges and paving the way for a more sustainable and innovative future.

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We need CO2 reduction all along the value chain to really achieve #NetZero2050. Events like this are important to connect, to collaborate and work together towards this common goal.

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How to make effective (business) decisions? It's known that different perspectives can contribute to #decisionmaking. The tricky part is, however, creating the process to incorporate these perspectives. Here, Evoniks Bias Buster format provides a good platform - many thanks for the opportunity to bring up a #CircularEconomy topic! My learnings: ☆ Already phrasing a good #question requires utmost attention as this part sets the scene for the outcome. ☆ Everyone has their own #frameworks to process and create information - being aware of the strengths, limits and applicability of such frameworks is crucial to understand what we know and what we don't know. ☆ Structuring the #communication during exchange of perspectives in a way, which allows everyone to bring in their thoughts independently of who's present or what has been said, helps to discover new ideas.

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Every small action moves us towards big change. And it’s the people behind the scenes who are making climate protection a top priority. That’s why alongside big projects like reducing CO2 emissions, wind and solar farms, electrification of our factories and helping customers to reduce their carbon footprints, our employees are making their personal contributions to climate protection too. Around the world, no matter where they are or what they do, it’s their drive and their passion that is helping to fuel a much bigger transformation in our entire organization. We call them our ‘Change Makers’ – and you can meet some of them in this film series. https://lnkd.in/ga-35jCM #TheClimateisChanging #CO2emissions #personalcontributions #biggertransformation #ChangeMakers

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Diversity Drives Innovation Potential A recent @CHEManager article highlighted the rising number of women leaders in the German chemical industry. While progress is being made, it also revealed a key challenge - the tenure of female executives tends to be shorter than their male counterparts. At Covestro, we recognize that true innovation stems from diverse perspectives. Diversity goes beyond just metrics - it's a catalyst for sustainable growth and forward-thinking strategies, as gender-diverse leadership teams are more likely to drive sustainability goals. We are committed to nurturing all talent and ensuring leaders can excel regardless of gender: 24% of our upper management is female, targeting 40% across the company by 2029 Promoting career development initiatives to support long-term contributions Fostering an inclusive culture where diverse viewpoints thrive Diversity drives our full innovation potential. This #PrideMonth, let's continue championing inclusion in all its forms to shape a resilient future for our industry. How have diverse perspectives driven innovation at your organization? #Leadership #Diversity #Innovation #Sustainability #ChemicalIndustry #WomenInLeadership

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Happy Earth Day 2024! At The Lubrizol Corporation we know that smart choices can partner the Planet AND Plastics for a sustainable, safe and healthy future. Not all plastic pollutes. Without plastics we can't make wind blades, EVs, charging stations, cell phones, laptops, safety equipment or medical devices. Our shared journey to a more sustainable future will require innovation in polymer science that enhances the circularity of the plastics we do need, while each of us makes better choices in our daily lives about the plastics we don't need. #EarthDay2024 #PanetANDPlastics #SustainableInnovation

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Innovation has always been the lifeblood of the Polyurethanes industry. For decades now, Huntsman has showcased its innovation breakthroughs via PU review, through which we aim to stimulate new thinking and develop new relationships. We’ve just published the latest issue of the magazine and I would encourage you to read it if you are interested in the world of polyurethanes. The main feature in this issue provides an insight into our new R&D Innovation Center near Leuven, in Belgium, which has significantly strengthened our innovation capability. Despite the geopolitical and economic challenges facing Europe, it continues to be a strategically important market for Huntsman Polyurethanes and we remain fully committed to the region for the long-term. The investment in the new R&D Center reinforces this commitment. Throughout the magazine, there’s a wide range of stories from our global team which demonstrate the breadth of our innovation. There’s a clear sustainability thread running through all our work – with new products containing bio-based and recycled content, and MDI based systems that are faster and less energy intensive to process. Please take a close look at the magazine (link below), I would appreciate any feedback you may have. https://lnkd.in/gU728xfR #Polyurethanes #Innovation

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BASF and Evonik Expand Partnership with First Delivery of Biomass-Balanced Ammonia to Support Low-Carbon Production On October 7, BASF announced that it has reached an agreement with Evonik for the first delivery of biomass-balanced ammonia, which boasts at least a 65% lower carbon footprint compared to standard products. BASF will sell the product under the name BMBcert ammonia. Utilizing the biomass balance (BMB) approach, BASF replaces fossil resources with certified biogas at the start of the production process. The biogas is sourced from bio-waste materials. BASF's Monomers division aims to offer at least one circular or low-carbon footprint option for each major product line by 2025. These mass-balanced products serve as direct drop-in solutions, meaning they have the same properties as their conventional counterparts but incorporate a percentage of recycled raw materials. These sustainable products are essential to BASF’s strategy to achieve climate neutrality and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. BASF and Evonik are expanding their product portfolio by introducing ammonia-based products produced using the biomass balance method. Evonik has received the first batch of BMBcert ammonia from BASF and plans to use it in a range of products, including its “eCO” grade epoxy curing agents and nylon 12 sold under the Vestamin brand. The eCO grade refers to Evonik’s commitment to eliminating CO2 emissions through the use of renewable raw materials in its existing production systems and processes. By incorporating BASF’s biomass-balanced ammonia into its ISCC PLUS-certified production processes, Evonik supports its sustainability goals and commitment to reducing emissions for a more sustainable economy.

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Breaking through Unconscious Bias - Another enlightening Bias Buster session is in the books! The most dangerous bias is the belief that we are not biased ourselves. Therefore we Evonik take bolder actions! ✊ 🚀 We're not just addressing or reflecting the topic, we're actively reveal our biases by bringing together our future leaders and our top management. Again, a diverse group of future leaders came together to de-bias a real business issue in our agile format ‘Bias Buster”, ensuring that we're viewing our challenges and opportunities through a multifaceted lens. It allows us to identify any blind spots and ensure that we're considering all angles as we move forward. This time we had the privilege of engaging in a thought-provoking discussion on the topic of the #CircularEconomy, a subject that is not only timely but also critical for our sustainable future. A special shout-out to Lauren Schulte Kjeldsen and Nina Fechler for bringing up the topic and Matthias Hölzle for managing a brilliant round of conversation.   Let's continue and walk the talk together to improve our decision making! Already curious who will be next..... #DiversityInAction #TrueLeadership #BeyondBias #FollowUsBeyond Picture generated through Copilot with Bing on March 15, 2024, with the prompt: Bias in Action. Why Evidence does not always change minds .

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CARBON NEUTRAL TOGETHER Our latest edition of the Aurubis Group Magazine has the focus topic „Keeping Each Other Safe“. Without question, the most important topic ➡️ Safety First! In addition the magazine also contains an exciting insight into our new organizational unit „Group Decarbonization“: How do we work together to ensure that we achieve our 2030 CO2 reduction target? This is only possible through: ▶️ Coordination, ▶️ Support, ▶️ Involvement and ▶️ Communication! #Teamwork #Aurubis #Decarbonization #Sustainability #tomorrowmetals

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Attending the EPCA Conference in Berlin this week with a focus on sustainability and the environment, reinforced how corporate leadership today demands more than steering a company towards profitability. It calls for a profound understanding of our role in shaping the very fabric of society. Here's what I've learned: 1/ We must guide young leaders to look beyond just quarterly reports and immediate gains. The real challenge? Teaching them to consider long-term, multi-stakeholder impacts. Every decision we make ripples through time, affecting not just our bottom line, but our communities, environment, and future generations. 2/ The line between business and social impact is blurring—and that's challenging but also exciting. Our responsibility is to show emerging leaders how to leverage their business acumen for responsible growth and social good. 3/ There are no easy answers when balancing the need for short term profitability with long term sustainability. Knee jerk actions around sustainability will do more damage than good. It's critical to find bold but pragmatic and science based solutions to advance. 4/ As corporate leaders, we're uniquely positioned to influence more than just our sectors. We have the platform, resources, and networks to address society's most pressing challenges. This isn't just an opportunity—it's a responsibility. Last week's tributes to Ratan Tata and the man he was --- should make us question what kind of legacy we choose to co-create. Will we be remembered solely for our business achievements, or for how we used our influence to shape a better world? #business #legacy #service

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We turn your formulations into OUTPERFORMULATIONS! #coatings #inks #outperformulation #coatingsindustry #coatingstechnology #sustainability #paintsandcoatings #innovation

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📢 Discover 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐎2 𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 In the latest edition of Glass International, my colleague Alexander Link shares how #preciousmetals are pivotal for innovation and sustainability within the glass industry. ➡️ Precious metals such as platinum and rhodium play a crucial role in manufacturing glass for various applications, ensuring the retention of characteristic features during production. ➡️ Significant progress has been made recently to reduce direct CO2 emissions, focusing on Scope 1 and 2. However, precious metals used in glass furnaces fall under Scope 3. ➡️ By developing innovative DPH materials, Heraeus Precious Metals contributes significantly to decreasing the carbon footprint of glass tools by making them more durable, resulting in less precious metal needed. ➡️ DPH Strong and DPH Flex are advanced precious metal alloys specifically tailored to meet the demanding requirements of glass tools, enhancing the sustainability and efficiency of production processes in the glass industry. Will you attend glasstec – International Trade Fair? Stop by our booth 12C19. We will be there to share our insights and provide professional consulting. Or simply contact me and my team at any time. 📱

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UK-based Johnson Matthey (JM), and ThyssenKrupp Uhde, a German provider for Engineering, Construction, and service of chemical plants, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly offer an integrated low carbon (blue) ammonia solution, building on a nearly 25-year ammonia relationship between the companies. In the drive to reduce CO2 emissions, the role of ammonia has expanded from a vital ingredient used to produce fertiliser for the agricultural sector, to a decarbonised carrier and supplier of hydrogen energy that’s easier to store and transport than pure hydrogen. The movement of low carbon ammonia can utilise existing infrastructure making it a leading energy transition solution that’s ready to capture, store, and ship vast quantities of hydrogen for use in the power and shipping sector, and industrial value chains globally. The two companies aim to access the blue ammonia market by combining the uhde ammonia process and JM’s hydrogen expertise through its LCH technology, to produce blue ammonia with up to 99% CO2 capture. ThyssenKrupp Uhde has licensed, engineered, or constructed over 130 ammonia plants worldwide since 1928 and is market leader in plants greater than 3,000 metric tonnes per day with its Uhde dual pressure technology. JM’s LCH technology, which utilizes its autothermal reformer alone, or in conjunction with its gas heated reformer, has been selected for several of the world’s first large scale blue hydrogen projects including BP’s H2Teesside, a 700-megawatt low carbon hydrogen production plant, and the H2H Salted project with Equinor and Linde for a 600-megawatt low carbon hydrogen production plant. Global demand for ammonia is estimated to increase to more than 600 million metric Tonnes by 2050 due to the new demands from shipping and power generation markets. Low carbon ammonia is predicted to meet two-thirds of the demand by 2050 with many countries around the world setting decarbonization targets. This could mean an estimated market size for low carbon ammonia of over $200-bn by 2050.

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Upcycling means to deal with waste and save resources at #BASF. BASF is showcasing our efforts to rethink waste and protect the climate. And guess what – our work as fiber bonding experts is also featured! Have a look and find out more about our #upcycling solutions: https://lnkd.in/eMktrDPY #ChangeForClimate

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Renewable Materials: More than Workshops for In-Depth Information and Lively Discussions – Renewable Materials Conference 2024, 11 - 13 June, Siegburg near Cologne/Bonn https://lnkd.in/emw-4zEP Final Program ++ Workshops ++ 170 participants from 18 countries already registered ++ 500-600 participants expected In addition to the 80 presentations, the workshops are an essential part of the conference for in-depth information and lively discussions. The workshops cover a wide range of topics: Policy frameworks for renewable carbon, the future of the chemical industry and the bioeconomy, alternative naphtha, marketing strategies for renewable products, availability of biomass from agriculture and forestry, food security, biodegradation, LCA methodology and communication. Discuss with leading experts in daylight, high quality workshop rooms. See all workshops below. If your association or company would like to run its own workshop, this is still possible, all information is available here: https://lnkd.in/eVtrg_jX "The Renewable Materials Conference (RMC) serves as a vital platform for collaboration and knowledge exchange in the renewable materials sector," says Michael Carus, CEO nova-Institute, and organiser of the RMC. "Our comprehensive approach covers the entire value chain, from alternative carbon feedstocks, the chemical industry, the materials sector, product manufacturers to brand owners and investors, making the RMC the ultimate platform for networking and partnering in the new renewable carbon economy.“ #biobased #bioeconomy #ccu #useCO2 #chemicalindustry #Sustainability #recycling

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