Our innovative strengths
Cognis has a drive to generate value – profitability and competitive strength for our customers. And we have defined our innovation strategy around this overriding goal. It is built on four dimensions of innovative strength.
Consumer insights
In every phase of the innovation process, Cognis stays closely in touch with the marketplace. Having emerged from a major consumer-goods brand, Cognis is equipped with deep insights into market demands. At an early stage, we recognized the strong trends toward wellness and sustainability, and have aligned our business strategies with them ever since. We use all the tools available to identify consumer needs and detect market opportunities. Based on a distinctive business concept for each of our three Strategic Business Units, we consistently answer the wishes and needs of consumers.
A holistic approach
Cognis has succeeded in developing a genuine, company-wide culture of innovation. Each and every member of our organization assumes responsibility for innovation in answer to customer needs. To channel this innovative drive, we define our core competencies in line with five technology platforms: performance, consumer perception, products and processes, formulation expertise, application know-how. At the same time, we cultivate interdisciplinary collaboration: our international networks allow a lively, ongoing exchange of knowledge, while local application labs keep us close to our customers. And we use open innovation to join forces with selected partners and leverage our complementary strengths.
Generating value
Cognis sees innovation as an invaluable strategic tool in accessing new markets and securing competitive differentiation. We use it to translate potential into new solutions, concepts and products. Our innovative approach is centered on benefits for consumers and industrial users and a healthy return on investment for our customers and Cognis: value added, long-term business success and enhanced profitability.
Leading green technology
Sustainability is an integral part of our corporate strategy. For Cognis, that means systematically utilizing our core competencies – more than 160 years of experience in specialty chemistry based on natural, renewable raw materials and leading expertise in surface technology. And this is reflected in our portfolio: more than half of the raw materials we use are renewable. In addition, we continuously optimize the efficiency and sustainability of our processes and solutions, while at the same time refining our standards and methods of measuring environmental impact. Cognis is one of the first companies to adopt the 24 Principles of Green Chemistry and Green Engineering. As a result, we have secured a strategic position as a leading partner for greener technology and sustainable business.