BIOCATALYSIS: MORE BIO REACTION TECHNOLOGY: IN PRODUCTION NETWORKS GOING MOBILE WITH MICRO ELEMENTSDECEMBER 2015 # 53 DATA STREAMS: BIG DATA MEANS BIG BUSINESS * ELEMENTS #53 DECEMBER 2015 THE INNOVATION MAGAZINE www.evonik.com Our experts on the future are masters of the yoga of ideas: in 58 exercises to the best solution. Evonik is the creative industrial group from Germany. Our impassioned experts draw on their know-how to develop solutions for tomorrow – from lightweight construction to medical devices. Creavis, our strategic innovation unit, is a driving force that opens up new markets for our customers, paving the way for a successful, lasting partnership. Visit us in the future at www.creavis.com. 14359-02-452-1-3 | Kunde: Evonik | Motiv: Creavis, Ideen Yoga, englisch, weltweit | Format: 230 x 300 mm | Beschnitt: 3 mm Farbprofil: ISO Coated v2-300 (ECI) (CMYK) | Titel: Evonik Magazin, U2, englische Ausgabe, 3 mm Bundzugabe rechts | Bearbeitet: marcoreuke | Stand: 02.02.2015 EDITORIAL www.evonik.com Fundamental Undertake more partnerships, communicate Process optimization through openly—according to an innovation study com- Big Data Page 04 missioned by VCI, these are the key elements that Dr. Ulrich Küsthardt pave the way to innovation. This is based on the Chief Innovation knowledge that innovation is a complex process Officer, CONTENTS Evonik Industries AG that runs in parallel, interrelated steps. Above all, ulrich.kuesthardt optimizing the process also means dealing with @evonik.com 04 Digital Intelligence Big Data analysis is the interface between business and science. This a new tool for process is why we seek to work closely with universities, optimization research institutes, and industry partners: to 12 Biocatalysis reach the goal faster together. Some examples in- New enzyme system enables clude our collaboration with Fraunhofer ICT-IMM access to 1-alkenes in Mainz (starting on p. 22) and our latest venture 15 Guest Commentary capital investment in Airborne Oil & Gas (p. 30). Prof. Harald Gröger on the potential of biocatalysis for Such partnerships also include open dialogue. basic and bulk chemicals Thirteen years ago, we launched the elements 16 Acetone from Waste Gas magazine to keep the scientific community, in How bacteria convert CO2 particular, up to date on our innovation activ- into valuable raw materials ities and support our dialogue with scientists. 22 Small Production Plants The offer was well received, as our reader survey Small-scale chemistry from fall 2014 revealed. The positive results of the 03 opens up the potential of microreaction technology survey encouraged us to continue to refine the content and, especially, the look of elements. 26 Catalyzing Change Changing energy markets The central mission of the magazine, the pre- offer new opportunities for sentation of our innovation projects, has not catalyst development changed. But we have added a few new features, 34 Evonik Innovation Award including the guest commentary, where we in- 2015 vite university researchers to present their views The finalists on research trends. 10 Data Mining The finished product raises the same sort of Smart processes question as a new development: Will it persuade 20 Corporate Foresight the market—or, in this case, the reader? Tell us Soft robotics what you think. Let us know what you especially Our experts on the future are 29 CompanyNews 32 Professionals Dr. Jens Busse like or do not like at all. This is the only way we masters of the yoga of ideas: 38 Wishlist can improve ourselves and the magazine, and in 58 exercises to the best solution. Prof. Renée Schroeder have a dialogue with you. For us, that is funda- 39 Book Tips / Masthead mental. Evonik is the creative industrial group from Germany. Our impassioned experts draw on their know-how to develop solutions for tomorrow – from lightweight construction to medical devices. Creavis, our strategic innovation unit, is a driving force that opens up new markets for our customers, paving the way for a successful, lasting partnership. Visit us in the future at www.creavis.com. Feedback Tell us your Dr. Jens Busse keeps entering new opinion of the territory—it’s his job. Page 32 new elements: Cover and back cover: Maximus Chatsky Photography: Dirk Bannert / Evonik, Stefan Wildhirt Bannert Dirk Stefan / Evonik / Evonik, Chatsky Maximus Photography: cover: and back Cover [email protected] ELEMENTS #53 THE EVONIK INNOVATION MAGAZINE 14359-02-452-1-3 | Kunde: Evonik | Motiv: Creavis, Ideen Yoga, englisch, weltweit | Format: 230 x 300 mm | Beschnitt: 3 mm Farbprofil: ISO Coated v2-300 (ECI) (CMYK) | Titel: Evonik Magazin, U2, englische Ausgabe, 3 mm Bundzugabe rechts | Bearbeitet: marcoreuke | Stand: 02.02.2015 GLOBAL CHALLENGES: BIG DATA 04 Illustration: Maximus Chatsky Maximus Illustration: ELEMENTS #53 THE EVONIK INNOVATION MAGAZINE GLOBAL CHALLENGES: BIG DATA BIG DATA MEANS BIG BUSINESS Data are the crude oil of the 21st century—but only if they are saved across the board and used productively. An interdisciplinary Evonik team has begun tapping into big data as a new digital process optimization tool. 05 Dr. Kai Dadhe ardly anyone would contest mation. The importance of big data simply the notion that everything cannot be emphasized enough. that can be digitized will be Most companies are fully aware of the digitized. And sooner or lat- significance and potential of digitization. er, that will cause the degree The actual challenge here is to make selec- of digitization to increase in tive use of this wealth of data for the classic the manufacturing sector. This applies both purposes of a manufacturing organization: Hto the horizontal supply chain between sup- for increasing productivity, optimizing pliers, production, and customers, as well as processes, and becoming more efficient. to the vertical supply chain along the vari- Even though the flow of data is constantly ous divisions within a company, from Pro- growing in many companies, only a small curement and Logistics to Sales and Mar- portion of that data is actually used. keting. Digitization is likewise in its infancy in Digital intelligence is everywhere to- the chemical industry. The reason is that Plants create a continuously day—every component, device, and module developing and improving processes and growing data stream. If they are used in the right way, it is yields more data than its predecessor, and methods is necessarily slower in the pro- possible to manage processes company employees and processes generate cessing industry, where cycle times are even more efficiently. a steadily growing wealth of digital infor- far longer than they are in the IT, tele- ELEMENTS #53 THE EVONIK INNOVATION MAGAZINE GLOBAL CHALLENGES: BIG DATA Digital information is a new, rich resource for future process optimization. Nevertheless, experience and expertise will remain as important as ever. By comparing digital information with expert knowledge, pure data is turned into a profitable tool. communications, and service sectors. ply chains unless we see the puzzle in its individual piece of equipment. Managing Nevertheless, given changing markets, entirety. and analyzing operating conditions foster growing customer expectations, and rising The future of the chemical industry will reliability and transparency. Digital intel- energy and raw materials costs, the chem- not include big business unless we optimize ligence also benefits areas outside of pro- ical industry simply cannot avoid the job of our use of digital intelligence. The words duction: Big data can be used, for instance, utilizing big data. “big data,” however, are often met with res- for simulating profit margins as a function Even before the era of fast-paced digitiza- ervations or even fear. Does this mean peo- of the cost of raw materials. And analyzing tion, chemical companies had always sought ple will become irrelevant? Are computers databases intelligently allows companies to keep their production state-of-the-art. taking over? What does big data actually to accelerate patent and market research, Evonik has been continuously optimizing its mean for production? estimate the volatility of individual mar- methods and processes and adapting them kets more accurately, and react to market to new demands for a very long time. Cost Big data couples human changes more quickly. and energy efficiency are among the most and digital intelligence important goals of each individual plant, Big numbers like terabytes, petabytes, and Turning data and innovations form a solid foundation for exabytes are not the issue here. Big data into practical tools 06 competitive, sustainable operations. does not mean that digital intelligence will Integrating digital intelligence is compara- Yet the tools we have been using for opti- one day be making decisions about process- ble to a technological evolutionary process mizing processes and increasing efficiency es and work sequences, or that each indi- in which certain basic prerequisites must are reaching their limits. There are several vidual employee will be his or her own IT be met. The company needs a certain infra- reasons for this. For one thing, improve- and statistics expert. Digital information structure, for example, if it is going to make ments traditionally focus on an individual instead represents a rich new resource for use of all of the available data. What is help- process step or subprocess. The way these future process optimization. ful here is that the large amounts of memory relate to upstream and