On September 1, 2025, the 10th Chemistry and Pharma Innovation Congress took place in Halle, jointly organized by VCI Nordost, the Netzwerk Life Science Sachsen-Anhalt and the Technologiepark Weinberg Campus. Also on hand was the Advanced Foresight Group, which presented a Chemistry Oracle and the Ad-hoc Chemistry Radar. As a representative of Schaltzeit GmbH, I experienced the day together with Carsten Hesse from Zukunft X – our contribution to the congress is summed up in this flyer in compact form.
One highlight was the Marketplace of Innovations, where networks, start-ups and research institutions presented themselves. It showcased the full range of projects – from the Center for the Transformation of Chemistry and the BioZ-Netzwerk to the Netzwerk Life Science Sachsen-Anhalt. For us, this marketplace was an excellent opportunity to talk directly with thought leaders and practitioners and to feel the dynamism of the location.
Bold voices from the industry
Particularly memorable were the words of Grit Müller (Salutas Pharma GmbH, Life Science Sachsen-Anhalt, VCI Nordost) and Dr. Jutta Matreux (Wacker Chemie AG, VCI Nordost). Both made it clear that ambitious goals such as carbon neutrality by 2045 remain in place and should not constantly be called into question. Every postponement of the timeframe, by contrast, only leads to standstill – disguised as supposed impossibility, it results in inaction in the present. Their message: the future demands courage, clarity and drive. Only if we set ourselves ambitious goals today and tackle them consistently will we actually get moving.
Of course, there are still open questions. For example on energy subsidies, where instead of answers, people often point to Brussels. But it also became clear that there is a shared interest in a successful transformation. Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann, Minister for Science, Energy, Climate Protection and the Environment of the State of Saxony-Anhalt, summed it up: the chemical industry does not question environmental goals, but embraces them and is thus resolutely setting out on the journey. One building block for securing the industry is the federally funded large-scale research center CTC. The chemistry research center will be built in Delitzsch in northern Saxony (headquarters) and in Merseburg and will employ up to 1,000 researchers. It offers additional space for expansions, spin-offs and start-up settlements. Start-ups emerge in chemistry, too, as the conference panels demonstrated.
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Innovations for a sustainable future
The expert sessions made it clear how intensively the industry is already working on concrete solutions today. For example, Verbio SE presented its biorefineries, which supply renewable carbon to the chemical industry. UPM Biochemicals reported on the successful launch of its new biorefinery in Leuna, which is likely to become a flagship project for the transformation.
Tires also came up several times. Polymer Service Merseburg is developing bio-based plasticizers for elastomers, while Synthos Schkopau is pursuing a circular strategy to turn old tires back into valuable raw materials.
The start-ups brought a breath of fresh air, impressively demonstrating how much innovative power the region has. enaDyne uses an innovative plasma catalysis technology to create entirely new value chains, Aevoloop is working on future-proof plastics with predetermined breaking points, for example, while CYNiO specializes in the production of isocyanates. I was also particularly fascinated by ESTER Biotech, which is advancing enzymatic upcycling as a key technology for the circular plastics economy.
These examples show that chemistry can help us reduce resource consumption and deliberately implement “cradle to cradle” principles. They are a strategic catalyst for value creation and visions of the future. For us as futurists, this conference makes it very clear: the local chemical industry is steering its visions of the future proactively and preemptively, deliberately involving policymakers along the way.
Our takeaway from the day in Halle: the future of chemistry is open! It is full of opportunities, and with enough will and innovative spirit, it is taking shape right here in this cluster. We look forward to continuing to accompany this industry.
Anyone interested – and everyone who wants to dive deeper – is warmly invited to our online event “Chemie 3” on October 7, 2025, at 4:00 pm – register at: https://advanced-foresight.com/events
