Maximilian Peter Heads Wacker Polymers
Maximilian Peter will take over as Head of the Polymers division on May 1, 2026. The previous head of the division, Peter Summo, will take over the management of the central Sales & Distribution division.
Wacker
Wacker Opens Biotechnology Center in Munich
In a new building at the Wacker Consortium, the company's central research site, researchers are working on new manufacturing processes for biopharmaceuticals and ingredients for food and nutritional supplements.
Wacker Breaks Ground on Czech Silicone Specialties Production Facility
German chemical company Wacker Chemie has broken ground for its new production site in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. Wacker plans to produce room-temperature-curing high-performance silicones there from the end of 2025 and high-consistency silicone rubbers from 2028.
Wacker Buys Manufacturing Assets and Know-how of Bio Med Sciences
In a move to expand its expertise and business in silicone-coated healthcare products, Germany’s Wacker Chemie has acquired the manufacturing assets and know-how of US-based Bio Med Sciences. As part of the acquisition, a majority of Bio Med Sciences’ workforce will also move to Wacker, the company said. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Wacker Expands Capacity for Specialty Silicones in China
Wacker Chemie started the construction of several new production lines to expand its specialty silicone manufacturing capacities at the Zhangjiagang site in Jiangsu Province, China. At the site, which is one of Wacker’s largest fully integrated production sites, the globally operating chemical group will produce functional silicone fluids, silicone emulsions and silicone elastomer gels. Investments of some €150 million are planned for the expansion project, Wacker said.
Wacker Buys All of ADL BioPharma from Private Equity
German chemical group Wacker has acquired 100% of ADL Biopharma from private equity investor Kartesia for a price said to exceed €100 million. It now owns the entire 150,000 m2 production site in the northern Spanish city of Léon with fermentation capacity of just under 3,000 cbm (gross volume).
Wacker and CordenPharma in RNA Drugs Project
Together with Munich’s Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) and the Humboldt University of Berlin (HU Berlin), German companies Wacker Chemie and CordenPharma International have launched a three-year project to accelerate the development of RNA-based drugs.
Wacker Expanding Silicone Specialties in the US
Following up on expansion plans hinted at last year, Germany’s Wacker Chemie is proposing to build up its US complex at Charleston, Tennessee, into a center for silicone specialties.
Wacker has Ambitious Plans for Norwegian Site
With an eye to expanding production capacity for silicon metal, Germany’s Wacker Chemie has launched a feasibility study to carry out a capacity upgrade at its site in Holla, Norway.
Wacker Moving Ahead with Silicone Rubber Expansion
In line with growth targets announced in March this year, Wacker Chemie is stepping up the pace of its capacity buildup for silicone rubber specialties to meet growing demand.
Wacker Opens new R&D Center in Michigan
Wacker Chemie has opened a new US regional innovation center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, dedicated to developing high-margin biotech and silicone specialties for high-tech applications. The site will also serve as headquarters of Wacker Chemical Corporation, responsible for its business in North and Central America.
Six Firms to Make Vaccines for German Emergency Supply
Germany’s economics ministry has budgeted up to €2.9 billion ($3.14 billion) to ensure sufficient supply of mostly mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccines to be able to deal with the ongoing pandemic and any future outbreaks up to 2029.
Wacker’s Siltronic Deal with GlobalWafers Off
With Germany’s foreign trade clearance still missing on the deal’s agreed Jan. 31 closing date, Munich-based Wacker Chemie declared its plans to sell its remaining 30.8% stake in silicon wafers manufacturer Siltronic to Taiwan’s GlobalWafers officially dead. For now, at least.
Siltronic Sale to GlobalWafers Looks Shaky
GlobalWafers’ planned takeover of Wacker Chemie’s remaining 30.8% stake in silicon wafers manufacturer Siltronic is looking somewhat shaky as the German economics ministry – following a year’s review of the plans – apparently remains unconvinced that the $5.3 billion deal is in the national interest.
Wacker and Biosyntia Partner on Biotin
German chemical company Wacker has signed a contract with Danish biotech Biosyntia to develop a large-scale production process for biotin based on the fermentation of plant-based raw materials. This would provide a sustainable alternative to the synthetic version that is currently on the market and made from petrochemicals.
Wacker and CordenPharma in Lipid Nanoparticles Partnership
German chemical company Wacker and compatriot CDMO CordenPharma have agreed to jointly develop know-how and processes for manufacturing lipid nanoparticles (LNP) to meet growing market demand. Both companies will first build up R&D capacities at their respective sites – Wacker in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and CordenPharma in Caponago, Italy.
Multinational Companies in China’s Chemical Industry
Chemical MNCs show strong verbal commitment to China, but the real situation is somewhat underwhelming.
Wacker Takes Majority Stake in China Silane Firm
German chemical company Wacker has acquired a 60% stake in Chinese specialty silane producer SICO Performance Material for an undisclosed sum. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2022 once the necessary regulatory and antitrust approvals have been received.
CureVac Cancels two Vaccine Manufacture Deals
German biotech CureVac has canceled manufacturing contracts with two prospective partners for its Covid-19 vaccine CVnCoV while retaining others. The company said on Sept. 14 it would end the arrangements with Germany’s Wacker Chemie and Switzerland’s Celonic Group, but leave the deals with Rentschler Biopharma and Novartis intact.
Lanxess and Wacker Join Foundation 2°
Lanxess and Wacker have become the first two chemical companies to join Foundation 2°, a German corporate initiative lobbying for effective market-based conditions for climate protection and recognition of the “problem-solving skills of German companies.”
CO2-Neutral Chemical Industry
The European Chemical Industry has set out on an ambitious path to become carbon neutral. Germany, as one of the major chemical manufacturing nations, has committed to achieve this goal by 2050.
Expert Statement: Rudolf Staudigl, Wacker Chemie
The European Chemical Industry has set out on an ambitious path to become carbon neutral.
Wacker Chemie to Buy California CDMO Genopis
German chemical producer Wacker Chemie is acquiring 100% of San Diego, California- headquartered CDMO Genopis from its two South Korean owners, Helixmith and Medivate Partner, both based in Seoul.
Wacker to Sell Siltronic Stake to GlobalWafers
Germany’s Wacker Chemie is selling its remaining 30.8% stake in semiconductor specialist Siltronic to GlobalWafers. As part of the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, the Taiwan-based company will offer Siltronic shareholders a price of €125 per share, with a minimum acceptance threshold of 65% of outstanding shares.
Wacker CDMO Arm to Produce CureVac Vaccine
Germany’s Wacker Chemie has signed a contract to manufacture the active substance for compatriot CureVac’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate CVnCoV. Under the terms, the biotech arm of the Munich-based chemical group will ramp up GMP production of the mRNA drug substance for the candidate at its Amsterdam site in the first half of 2021.
Wacker Invests in China Site
German chemical company Wacker Chemie is investing about $100 million to build two new manufacturing plants at its site in Nanjing, China.
Wacker Biotech Invests in Amsterdam Site
Wacker Biotech, CDMO subsidiary of the Munich-based chemical group, is investing a mid-double-digit-million euro sum in its production facilities for biologics, LMPs (live microbial products) and vaccines at the Amsterdam site it acquired two years ago.
Circular Economy
The chemical industry is on the threshold of a new era – the age of circularity. We asked industry experts to share their opinions on this transformational topic.
