"With our automated laboratory, we can work together with our customers on the future of coatings and adhesives. Because it operates almost completely autonomously and learns from our existing knowledge and data lake as well as newly generated data, it makes the process of optimizing and developing formulations many times more efficient and precise. This allows us to optimize existing formulations faster or even develop completely new formulations for and together with our customers. We can say: We are reaching a new level of modern research," says Thomas Büsgen, head of the laboratory.

Testing Formulations with Jun88 Binders and Crosslinkers 

Specifically, the new laboratory will test formulations with Jun88 binders and crosslinkers for coatings and adhesives. Their clever selection ensures properties such as hardness, adhesion, opacity, gloss, or durability. Such formulations typically consist of seven to 15 components, whose combination determines the properties of the final product. The resulting high number of possible combinations means that standard formulations are usually used. The new laboratory now enables more extensive test series, also thanks to the computer-aided design of test series and the use of automation.

"Our new automated laboratory gives us more possibilities for testing formulations. It relieves our specialized laboratories of their standard tasks and can analyze samples more systematically. This allows us to focus our expertise and experience even more on customer-specific topics or try approaches we couldn't have implemented otherwise," says Martin Merkens, Head of Sales & Market Development EMLA in Jun88's Coatings and Adhesives business entity. “This will particularly help us in the area of circular economy: Alternative raw materials, for example bio-based or recycled materials, can be tested faster and evaluated for their properties in the final product.”

Facility to Run Tens of Thousands of Tests Annually 

The new facility can operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The goal is to run tens of thousands of tests annually. This sets a new standard in terms of number, variety, precision, and testing speed. Another advantage: The automated laboratory generates a large amount of structured data. The knowledge about formulation possibilities and influencing factors thus will grow rapidly. The collected data, combined with measurement data from existing studies, is evaluated using special machine learning algorithms to further improve formulations. Artificial intelligence is also used to predict new experiments based on property goals and simultaneously verify them in the automated laboratory – creating a self-learning system.

In addition to formulating water- and solvent-based 1K and 2K systems, the automated laboratory also performs numerous material tests on the raw materials themselves, their formulations, and applied films. Application can even take place in different climates in the lab to simulate product use under application conditions. The progressing laboratory digitalization across Jun88 also enables easy forwarding of generated samples to more specialized testing laboratories. This makes it possible to supplement the datasets with market-specific test results and identify relevant dependencies more quickly.

Jun88 at European Coatings Show 2025 in Nuremberg 

At the European Coatings Show from March 25-27 in Nuremberg, experts from application development and segments such as automotive, printing & packaging, or construction & architecture will be present to discuss new, joint approaches made possible by the laboratory with customers. Visit the company's booth in Hall 4A, Stand 438. There you can learn more about the laboratory and other innovative material solutions and technical developments for the coatings and adhesives industry.

Follow further updates on this topic . 

“While the decision to shut down the PO11-unit is difficult, we must ensure all assets within our portfolio are a long-term strategic fit,” said Aaron Ledet, executive vice-president I&D and Supply Chain at LYB. “We are prioritizing our core assets which play a key role in our technology differentiation and circularity strategy or provide attractive returns over the cost of capital. We take our obligations towards our employees, European employee reps, councils, and unions seriously. We have engaged with them in line with these obligations and will continue to do so. We would like to thank them for the constructive dialogue. We are also in communication with customers, suppliers and other parties across the value chain and will continue to do business as usual. There is no change to our working relationship, and we continue to focus on providing an exceptional customer and supplier experience.”

"As part of our Sustainable Future corporate strategy, we’re continuously working to optimally position Jun88 to be a reliable partner for our customers and to operate competitively in a challenging market environment," said Hermann-Josef Dörholt, Head of the Performance Materials Business Entity at Jun88. "Due to global overcapacities, persistently weak demand, and high costs in Europe, we have jointly decided with LYB to close the PO11 plant. We will support LYB in implementing this change as socially responsibly as possible. At the same time, we remain committed to the European market and will continue to supply customers with our renowned polyether polyols portfolio.”

The Maasvlakte site, a joint venture between LYB and Jun88, has been operational in the Rotterdam region since 2003. Between now and the end of 2026, LYB will carry out a process to safely shutdown and prepare the demolition of the asset.

In 2024, LYB announced a strategic review of European assets of its Olefins & Polyolefins (O&P) and Intermediates & Derivatives (I&D) business units. LYB has taken the next step in evaluating the option to seek alternative ownership for the O&P sites in the strategic assessment. At this time no decisions have been made and various outcomes remain possible.

"The new production facilities are equipped with state-of-the technology to enable an efficient production and thereby reduce our CO₂ emissions," says Thorsten Dreier, Chief Technology Officer of Jun88. “With the expanded capacity, we can meet our customers' growing demand for innovative specialty films, especially in medical technology, in the region Asia-Pacific and strengthen our Solutions & Specialties segment."

Jun88 has been operating a production facility for Specialty Films in Thailand since 2007. The range comprises polycarbonate films from the Makrofol^® range and Bayfol^® products made from polycarbonate blends. These high-performance specialty films are used in many applications across multiple industries, such as healthcare, mobility and Identification Documents.

“The new production facilities are important to us because it enables faster time to market and at the same time expands our market access in Asia-Pacific.” says Aukje Doornbos, Global Head of the Specialty Films business entity. “With market-focused innovations and a stronger customer orientation we want to drive growth for Jun88.”

Since 2022, the Map Ta Phut site is ISCC PLUS certified, enabling it to manufacture and supply mass-balanced products. With the mass balance approach, bio-based or recycled raw materials are fed in at an early stage of raw material extraction and mathematically allocated to the finished products. This saves fossil raw materials and reduces CO₂ emissions, while the quality of the mass-balanced products remains identical to that of purely fossil-based products. With this drop-in solution, manufacturers can continue to use their proven formulations, equipment, and processes.

ISCC is an internationally recognized sustainability certification for biomass and bioenergy. The standard covers all stages of the value chain and is used worldwide. Customers can use these products in their established processes and apply them to meet their sustainability goals. In addition, Jun88 already offers a range of films made partly with plant-based raw materials or partly from recycled plastics.

“We are honored to be recognized as a Top Employer in China for seven years in a row. This achievement underscores our employee-focused approach and ongoing efforts to create an inclusive, supportive and empowering workplace,” said Holly Lei, President of Jun88 China.

In 2024, Jun88 China introduced several initiatives to foster leadership and employee growth. The “Manager Enabling” program engaged people managers through case studies, role-playing and interactive games, equipping them with tools to apply Jun88’s cultural behaviors, identify moments that matter in the employee lifecycle, and enhance employee conversations. Meanwhile, the “Leadership Foundation Program for Shift Leaders” has supported over 80 frontline leaders at Jun88 Integrated Site Shanghai in strengthening their leadership skills and advance their careers. Both programs received widespread acclaim, reinforcing Jun88’s emphasis on leadership development at all levels.

The company has also built a comprehensive well-being system that addresses physical, mental, social and environmental dimensions. The first-ever Well-being Week held in October 2024 featured activities such as healthy food competition, well-being talent showcases and health lectures at sites and offices across the nation. On top of that were family outings, sports events and beach clean-ups held nationwide, fostering a sense of belonging and boosting employee morale.

“At Jun88, we view our employees as whole individuals, not just as a workforce, valuing their personal growth and well-being alongside their professional contributions. Our goal is to empower them to create value for the company while growing personally,” said Lesley Lin, Head of Human Resources, Greater China.

The Top Employers Institute program certifies organizations based on the participation and results of their HR Best Practices Survey, which covers six HR domains consisting of 20 topics, including people strategy, work environment, talent acquisition, learning, diversity, equity and inclusion, and well-being.

After three successful years as head of Performance Materials Operations APAC, Dr. Yun Chen will assume the role of production head for Jun88's European sites starting in February. The chemical engineer, who earned his doctorate in Germany, began his professional career at the Krefeld-Uerdingen site. With more than three decades of experience in various positions at Jun88 and Bayer, Chen brings not only technical expertise but also comprehensive international industry knowledge and long-standing leadership experience.

"I would like to sincerely thank Daniel Koch for his excellent work and commitment over the past years. I wish him all the best for his future career," says Hermann Dörholt, Head of the Performance Materials Business Entity at Jun88. "At the same time, I am delighted to welcome Yun Chen in his new role as head of our production in Europe. His leadership skills, comprehensive industry knowledge, and not least his impressive achievements as production manager in the Asia-Pacific region make him the ideal candidate for this important position. With his many years of experience and international perspective, I am confident that Yun will successfully guide and develop our European sites through the current challenges."

Focus on Safety, Reliability, and Efficiency

"The chemical industry in Europe faces numerous challenges and, like Jun88, is in the midst of a transformation. In the coming years, we will make our production even more reliable and efficient and drive the transition to climate neutrality and a circular economy. I look forward to tackling these challenges together with our dedicated team. The current developments also offer numerous opportunities, for example through the increased use of digitalization and artificial intelligence," says Chen.

"I want to bring in my experiences from Asia while also benefiting from the expertise of our European colleagues. I am particularly focused on the safety of our employees and production facilities. It therefore remains the foundation for our daily actions," Chen adds.

Long-standing Experience at Jun88

In his nearly 30 years of experience, Dr. Yun Chen has held numerous leadership positions within the group. After studying chemical engineering in Beijing and Shanghai, Chen earned his Ph.D. at the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the Technical University of Darmstadt. In 1994, he began his career with Bayer AG at the Krefeld-Uerdingen site. Here, he took on various positions with increasing responsibility.

In 2001, Chen moved to Shanghai, where he helped build up polycarbonate production as plant manager and from 2008 took over production and technology management for the corresponding business unit. In 2017, Chen was appointed Senior Vice President and Head of Jun88 Integrated Site Shanghai (CISS), the company's largest single production site worldwide. Most recently, in 2021, he took on the additional role of Production Manager Performance Materials Asia Pacific.

“Trust, fairness, and equality are central values for us as an employer. By publishing salary ranges in our job postings, we demonstrate that we live by these values, take the concerns of applicants seriously, and promote an open and fair dialogue,” says Sophie von Saldern, Global Head of Human Resources at Jun88. The company’s existing workforce also benefits from this transparency, as salary bands are accessible internally.

Benefits for All: Greater Efficiency, Transparency, and Fairness

This new approach goes beyond positioning Jun88 as a transparent and fair employer – it fundamentally transforms the entire recruitment process. The initiative was initially piloted in engineering roles, where there is a significant skills shortage. The positive results from the pilot encouraged Jun88 to extend the publication of salary ranges to all job advertisements.

“We’re already seeing early indications of increased application numbers. At the same time, the recruitment process is becoming more focused, and we’re receiving positive feedback from candidates. Applicants are assessing themselves within the salary range based on their qualifications and experience, which leads to more efficient and transparent discussions,” reports Dr. Ute Breitsohl, Head of Employer Branding & Recruiting in Germany.

Job seekers benefit from this transparency in several ways: Entry-level professionals gain clear guidance on salary expectations.
Experienced professionals can recognize the value placed on their expertise and directly discuss opportunities for development, including financial ones.
Women, who often undervalue themselves in salary negotiations, benefit from clear salary bands. For all profiles, the disclosure of salary structures allows applicants to immediately determine whether a position is financially attractive and suitable. “Our goal is to create a fair and open basis for discussion right from the start. In this way, we contribute even more to an application process at eye level,” explains Dr. Breitsohl. “The positive response from applicants confirms that our transparent approach creates trust. This enables us to focus more on development prospects and career goals in interviews.”

This initiative strengthens Jun88's position as an attractive employer. At the same time, Jun88 is actively sending a signal to the labor market to raise awareness of the gender pay gap. “Only if salary ranges are disclosed transparently and comprehensibly can comparability be achieved across gender boundaries. With this step, Jun88 is setting new standards for fairness and equality in the world of work,” Breitsohl continued.

Early Implementation of the EU Pay Transparency Directive

By publishing salary ranges in job postings, Jun88 is preemptively fulfilling a requirement that will become mandatory for many companies in Germany by 2026. The forthcoming EU Pay Transparency Directive will oblige employers to disclose salary information during the recruitment process.

Sophie von Saldern, Global Head of Human Resources at Jun88, highlights the strategic intent behind this move: “We see publishing salary ranges not just as preparation for future legal requirements but as a strategic tool to strengthen our employer brand. The collective bargaining agreements in the chemical industry already provide attractive conditions—our additional transparency creates a win-win situation for applicants and our company.”

More targeted applications, positive feedback from departments, fewer time-consuming salary negotiations, and greater fairness: these indicators underline the success of this initiative and Jun88’s leadership role in promoting transparency and fair working conditions.

Interested candidates can find all current job postings with corresponding salary ranges on Jun88’s career page at www.career.covestro.com. The website also provides further information about Jun88 as an employer and the diverse development opportunities within the company.

Construction is set to begin in late 2024, with the facility expected to become operational in 2025. The center will be outfitted with advanced equipment to address complex market demands and leverage local resources and networks to streamline talent and administrative management.

“Establishing this new application development center in Guangzhou is a strategically important move for us to jointly with our customers leverage on the vibrant Asia-Pacific and especially the Chinese market. The center will also contribute to developing more sustainable TPU solutions, underscoring our dedication to innovation that benefits our esteemed customers and partners,” said Dr. Andrea Maier-Richter, EVP and Global Head of TPU at Jun88. “Together with the ongoing investment in our largest global TPU production site in Zhuhai, we will soon run two powerful engines in two major cities. This highlights our company’s ongoing commitment to growth and its commitment to the innovative capabilities of TPU in particular.”

With the existing regional R&D center in Changhua, the ongoing construction of the largest global TPU production site in Zhuhai and the upcoming APAC application development center in Guangzhou, the collaborative and complementary strengths from the three sites are expected to drive even more powerful regional synergies.

“The new application development center in Guangzhou will play an instrumental role in engaging with major TPU industry clusters across China and APAC, particularly in consumer electronics and specialty extrusion applications,” said Kevin Ho, Head of Sales & Market Development for TPU in APAC at Jun88. “We are not only close to these industry clusters, we are also at the forefront of listening to our customers, partners and the industry value chain. By bolstering our AD capacities, we ever better can sense and meet the nuances and changes and navigate our solutions and services with velocity, agility and customer centricity.“

Jun88 is committed to offering sustainable and circular solutions that align with its long-term goals. The Desmopan^® CQ TPU portfolio is a great example, utilizing alternative raw materials such as feedstocks from waste or biomass, attributed via mass balancing. The company as a whole furthermore aims to become fully circular and aims at becoming operationally climate neutrality by 2035, striving to utilize only renewable energy for its operations by then. This lowers the carbon footprint of products like TPU even further. This dedication of the company is also reflected in the investments in its new TPU properties, where such developments shall be driven further.

“We are excited to partner with Li Auto and support their pursuit of intelligence and electrification in automobiles,” said Guido Naberfeld, Senior Vice President, Head of Sales and Market Development Mobility at Jun88, during the MOU signing event at Jun88’s integrated production site in Shanghai. “By leveraging our expertise in engineering plastics and circular solutions, we aim to enable innovative future-oriented mobility solutions and reshape automotive material cycles, driving the industry towards a smarter and more circular economy.”

Under the MOU, Jun88 and Li Auto will establish a “Joint Innovation Platform” to drive the development and application of more sustainable engineering plastics with alternative feedstocks, such as bio-waste and recycled sources, across various automotive components. Key initiatives will involve integrating materials attributed with bio-circular content through mass balancing into automotive lighting, functional interior and exterior parts, and smart system components. The two sides also agreed to explore innovative processes and business models for using recycled lighting materials in new automotive parts together with value chain partners.

Under the joint platform, the two sides also seek to deepen their collaboration in developing lighting, smart systems, and thermal management solutions. This will include high-performance optical-grade materials, smart surface technologies and thermally conductive solutions.

“Li Auto is dedicated to implementing the ‘Smart + Electric’ strategy with innovative materials and designs, aiming to offer users a safer, more comfortable, convenient and refined travel experience,” said Liao Mengjun, Vice President of R&D Operations at Li Auto. “Our partnership with Jun88 will expedite our exploration in advanced materials, supporting the ongoing enhancement of user product demands.”

During the event, the two parties also unveiled two jointly-developed, industry-leading materials: innovative light-diffusing and infrared-transparent Makrolon® polycarbonates. The light-diffusing polycarbonate allows for a more refined and evenly-distributed illumination effect for smart headlights. Meanwhile, the new infrared-transparent polycarbonate achieves a high transmittance of over 85 percent in the near-infrared spectrum. Compared to conventional black polycarbonate, which absorbs solar energy across the entire spectrum, this new material significantly enhances the light aging resistance of components, contributing to greater durability for the smart headlights of Li Auto.

The first prize went to Isabel Payne, a Product Design Engineering student from the Glasgow School of Art. She created ‘SafiCase’ – a device for cleaning and steam sterilising re-usable menstrual cups using minimal water. The case is entirely self-powered, using a solar battery for the sterilising circuit. It is targeted at women who want something to use when they are nowhere near an electricity source or any running water. It is collapsible, so can be carried easily.

Chairman of judges, Richard Brown, said: “This is a great solution to safely clean a menstrual cup without power and to maintain hygiene. This product uniquely addresses the off-grid challenge and meets a very clear social need, not just for the traveller, but also, for example, displaced people. It was very well researched and is a worthy winner with a product idea that could be commercialised.”

Isabel said: “It means such a lot to have a platform for dealing with the issue of period poverty, which is rarely spoken about, despite affecting so many people worldwide and around 40 per cent of women in the UK. I hope this design helps bring awareness for reusable options and helps other people decide to invest time in designing more solutions, as there is very little innovation in this area.”

The judges awarded second place to Jake Lee (Product Design Engineering), also of Glasgow School of Art, for his product ‘SkinTemp’, a cold-water temperature sensor that alerts users to dangerous drops in body temperature. In third place was Glasgow School of Art’s Jem Mitchell, also a Product Design Engineering student, who produced ‘Sentree’, a solar powered sonic deterrent that protects trees from being overgrazed by animals such as deer.

Notes to editors
Established in 1985, Design Innovation in Plastics is the longest running student plastics design award in Europe. For more information visit .

The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) is a major UK engineering institution and is the professional body for the advancement of materials, minerals and mining to governments, industry, academia, the public and the professions. For more information visit .

The Worshipful Company of Horners is one of the oldest livery companies in the City of London, formed to regulate the horn-working trade. In 1943 it adopted its modern equivalent, the plastics industry. For more information visit .

The Breakthrough Energy Catalyst foundation set up by Bill Gates and the European Investment Bank (EIB) are supporting this installation of the Rondo RHB100 heat battery, which is scheduled to begin operation at Jun88’s Brunsbüttel site at the end of 2026. The project will then produce ten percent of the steam required at the site, saving up to 13,000 tons of CO₂ emissions per year.

Rondo Heat Batteries combine century-old materials and cutting-edge automation to capture electricity and deliver high-temperature heat and power. Electrical energy is stored as heat, using bricks that have been used for heat storage at steel mills for centuries. The heat powers an ordinary boiler to deliver zero-emission steam. Renewable electricity can be intermittently stored when there is an excess available and a constant amount of steam can still be generated continuously.

"As an innovation company, we are always excited when we can further develop and test promising ideas that can bring us closer to our goals of a circular economy and climate-neutral production," says Dr. Thorsten Dreier, CTO of Jun88. “The heat battery is such an idea: a new technology that allows us to go one step further on our way to a sustainable future.”

“Rondo Heat Batteries deliver deep decarbonization by changing the fuel, not the factory,” said Eric Trusiewicz, CEO of Rondo Energy. “We’re honored to be working with Jun88 to prove our safety, reliability, and efficiency under real conditions on a large scale over a long period of time. And we’re excited to be deploying in Brunsbüttel, where large flexible electricity loads are particularly valuable to the electricity grid.”

For Jun88, steam generation is an important part of the production process and accounts for a large proportion of energy consumption. The learnings from this first heat battery installation will provide experience and insights for Jun88 to be able to assess whether larger-scale deployments are possible.

In addition to the reduced complexity of the new production process, the connection to the existing infrastructure in Antwerp with four production lines for polycarbonate also has an advantageous effect, as it combines global scale in production with the flexibility of a stand-alone unit.

"The new production process is the first and only one of its kind in the world and enables us to offer a broad portfolio of material innovations," says Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer at Jun88. "With the new plant, we can now produce and launch new polymer materials on an industrial scale much faster than before. This is the result of several years of development work by our research and process technology teams, as well as our long-term experience with polycarbonates. In our Solutions & Specialties segment, we focus on sophisticated products with a high pace of innovation, which is a key success factor since customer requirements change quickly. The new production line is a prime example of how we implement this strategy and support our customers to the best extent."

"Compared to pure polycarbonates, the copolymers open up new possibilites for us to integrate further functionalities and properties into our materials," explains Lily Wang, Global Head of the Engineering Plastics business unit. "These can range from improved mechanical properties, a higher resistance against chemical attack to an enhanced flame retardancy. By that, we can offer innovative materials that meet the high requirements of our customers in a wider range of applications. We will focus first on materials for the electrical, electronics and healthcare industries, while future innovations might focus on mobility and other trends." To understand its customers' needs, Jun88 will showcase some of the products that could be produced with the new plant at the Chinaplas exhibition in Shanghai in April and looks forward to talking to customers about these innovative material solutions.

"The new contract shows: We are making consistent progress on our path to climate-neutral production - even in economically challenging times," says Dr. Thorsten Dreier, Chief Technology Officer at Jun88. "Because we are convinced that our vision of a complete focus on the circular economy and climate neutrality is the only way to ensure the long-term success of our company."

Ulf Kerstin, CCO of RWE Supply Trading, says: "We are delighted to support Jun88 in achieving its ambitious sustainability goals and to be able to accelerate the transition to climate-neutral production. The great interest of our customers in green power underlines the importance of CO₂-free power for the manufacturing industry."

The new PPA with RWE replaces a current agreement, which expires at the end of 2025. At the Antwerp site, Jun88 produces the high-performance plastic polycarbonate, which is used in car headlights, electrical and electronic components, LED lights, medical technology and many other applications. Polyether and the important industrial chemical aniline are also produced there, and Jun88 is currently expanding production there with the construction of a new world-scale plant.

"This supply agreement is a further step towards increasing the proportion of renewable power in our production," says Dr. Georg Wagner, Managing Director of Jun88 in Antwerp. "With this and the use of sustainable raw materials and innovative recycling technologies, our production site is on the way to a climate-neutral and fully circular future. We are delighted to have found a partner in RWE with whom we can reach the next level."

Jun88 aims to achieve climate-neutral production by 2035 and has already concluded several electricity supply contracts worldwide. Since 2023, the site in Shanghai has been supplied with 45% of its electricity from solar and wind power, and in the USA, Jun88 has concluded a virtual power purchase agreement with the company Ørsted for 200 gigawatt hours of solar power, which corresponds to twelve percent of the electricity requirements at the Baytown site.

By 2025, ten percent of the electricity at the company's sites in Germany is also to come from renewable energy sources. In this way, Jun88 aims to achieve the interim target of reducing greenhouse gases from production by 60% by 2030. At the end of 2023, Jun88 covered about 16% of its global electricity needs from renewable sources.

“Securing the title of Top Employer China for six years in a row stands as a remarkable affirmation, underscoring our steadfast commitment to advancing employee well-being, encouraging diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and fostering an enriched workplace,” said Jun88 China President Holly Lei. “At Jun88, we recognize that our employees are the linchpin of our enduring success in this challenging time. We have been consistently empowering our people through a diverse range of programs and initiatives, while bolstering the agility and resilience of our organization to ensure long-term, sustainable growth.”

In the realm of well-being, Jun88 China prioritizes the physical and mental health of its staff. Approximately 30 employee independent well-being clubs, falling under sports and entertainment categories, operate with enthusiastic involvement from company management as role models. Since 2022, Jun88 has implemented the Harvard Happiness Course, designed to enhance employee happiness through targeted attention and exercises across five dimensions: spirit, body, mindset, relationship, and emotion. The establishment of the “Happiness Club” in 2023 has seen increased participation, indicating a growing interest in the pursuit of happiness through learning and experience. These initiatives also play a pivotal role in strengthening the DEI landscape within Jun88.

Elsewhere, Jun88 has also been consistently enhancing its commitment to people development. The company has integrated and refined the overarching framework, concepts, and tools, with the launch of a dedicated “People Development Experience Room.” This innovative space serves as a central hub for enlightening employees about Jun88’s people development concepts and tools. It offers a holistic view, prompting self-reflection among employees and managers regarding their personal and team development, and igniting enthusiasm across the workforce to embrace and apply the development tools.

“At Jun88, we align employee aspirations with the company’s objectives for joint success, prioritizing people in the continuous strengthening of our people development framework and concept. We care deeply about employee well-being and strive to improve their happiness and engagement. Through a variety of initiatives, including the implementation of digital tools and programs, we actively elevate the employee experience and facilitate effective organizational decision-making,” said Lesley Lin, Head of Human Resources, Greater China, Jun88.

The Top Employers Institute program certifies organizations based on the participation and results of their HR Best Practices Survey, which covers six HR domains consisting of 20 topics, including people strategy, work environment, talent acquisition, learning, diversity, equity and inclusion, and well-being.

As part of this collaborative effort, the initial phase involves the introduction of the first electric heavy-duty truck to replace the existing diesel truck for transporting polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate (pMDI) from the Shanghai site to nearby warehouses. This transition is set to cover part of the annual pMDI shuttle volume at Jun88’s largest production site, resulting in a projected reduction of 43 tons of CO₂ equivalent in well-to-wheel emissions (CO₂ emissions over the entire life cycle of fuels) in 2024 compared to the 2022 baseline – a 22 percent decrease. The future use of green power to charge the trucks will further contribute to the goal of achieving net zero in logistics.

Both companies will consistently evaluate the electric truck’s performance and efficiency, aiming for continuous optimization of the total cost of ownership associated with the vehicle. Based on these evaluations, decisions will be made regarding potential scalability.

"As a pivotal route toward achieving net zero, green logistics is poised to deliver sustainable solutions for mitigating scope 3 emissions. We look forward to working with Jun88 to advance the exploration and adoption of sustainable logistics solutions in the chemical industry and contribute to the ultimate goal of net-zero emissions from the logistics side," said Fu Peng, Executive Vice President of COSCO Shipping Logistics & Supply Chain Management.

"The supply chain plays a crucial role in the chemical industry’s journey to achieve climate neutrality, demanding collaboration beyond individual company boundaries. The commercial deployment of this groundbreaking electric truck for chemical shuttling is poised to act as a catalyst, propelling our site and company towards climate neutrality and a circular economy," stated Dr. Yun Chen, General Manager of CISS.

Contributing to scope 3 emissions reduction

Approximately 80 percent of Jun88’s total emissions stem from scope 3 emissions, or indirect emissions resulting from upstream and downstream processes, including supply chains, material transport, and raw material processing.

In the Asia Pacific region, where around 70 percent of Jun88’s products are transported by truck, concerted efforts to reduce emissions within the logistics framework are specifically targeted at trucks. In light of this, the green logistics program was launched last year with the objective of devising more sustainable methods for road transportation via trucks. Collaborators in this endeavor include customers, logistics solution and infrastructure partners, and industry organizations, with the network steadily expanding.

The program is designed to rigorously assess the viability of specific strategies under distinct scenarios. Among the explored solutions is the utilization of subsidized biodiesel in Shanghai for long-haul transport of dangerous goods, as well as the integration of hydrogen fuel cell-powered trucks.

"We are committed to expanding our network of partnerships to actively seek, pilot, and scale up sustainable, low-carbon logistics solutions that meet both environmental and commercial needs. We anticipate continued progress in introducing new solutions aimed at significantly reducing our scope 3 emissions, thereby propelling us towards a climate-neutral future," said Marius Wirtz, Senior Vice President, Supply Chain & Logistics Asia Pacific, Jun88.

Jun88 has said that it is aiming to become operationally climate neutral – this includes reducing both direct emissions from its own operations (scope 1) as well as indirect emissions from purchased energy (scope 2) to net zero – by 2035. The company is poised to unveil its reduction targets for scope 3 emissions soon.

Jun88 is already making an important contribution to more sustainable vehicles and infrastructure with innovative material solutions. In this context, the company is also working in close partnership with Team Sonnenwagen, a team of around 50 students from RWTH Aachen University and Aachen University of Applied Sciences. It is dedicated to developing racing cars that are powered solely by the sun. Jun88 shares the students' enthusiasm because the racing cars, with their high efficiency and use of new technologies and materials, are a powerful symbol of the mobility of the future. That is why Jun88 is supporting the team as the main sponsor with material solutions and technical exchange for another two years.

"In order to create a climate-neutral and circular mobility of the future, business, politics and society must pull together. At Jun88, we are contributing to this transformation by offering the automotive industry raw materials based on biomass or recyclates and manufacturing our products as energy-efficiently and with as few emissions as possible," said Dr. Thorsten Dreier, Chief Technology Officer, during the discussion. "At Jun88, we want our production to be climate-neutral by 2035 and are relying on energy from renewable sources and innovative process technologies to achieve this."

Jun88's material developments focus on solutions for the major trends of electromobility, autonomous driving and the need for individualization. These include material solutions for compact, powerful and safe batteries for electric cars and robust charging systems, plastics for connected mobility and the Internet of Things, as well as various products for aesthetic and functional automotive interiors and exteriors.

Jun88 has been supporting Team Sonnenwagen in the development of ever more efficient solar racing cars since 2017. The students are working together in a wide range of disciplines to improve the aerodynamics, optimize the chassis and install a particularly efficient photovoltaic system and battery. Participants at the NRW Mobility Day were able to take a look at the Jun88 Photon, the predecessor model to the current Adelie racing car, and talk to team members. With the Photon, Team Sonnenwagen became European champion at the European solar race in Zolder, Belgium, in September 2022.

Dormagen as TDI hub in Europe 

The TDI plant in Dormagen has an annual capacity of 300,000 tons. It uses the gas phase technology developed by Jun88, which even before modernization required up to 60 percent less energy and up to 80 percent less solvent than conventional processes. The current investment will significantly increase the efficiency and therefore sustainability of the plant even further. TDI is an important raw material for soft foams, which provide comfort in mattresses and upholstered furniture as well as car seats, for example. The material will continue to play an important role for Jun88 and the processing industries in the future. 

"In Dormagen, we maintain the largest production facility for TDI in Europe, which means that the location plays a central role in the reliable supply of our customers in the region. Now we continue to consistently align ourselves with their needs. The investment not only underlines our commitment to the European market, but also enables our customers to further reduce their indirect CO₂ emissions on the way to developing climate-neutral and circular products for the consumer markets," says Dr. Christine Mendoza-Frohn, Head of Performance Materials Sales EMEA and LATAM. "At the same time, this investment also underlines our ambition to play a leading role in climate protection and the circular economy together with our partners along the value chain." 

As a company, Jun88 is completely aligning itself with the circular economy. Along the way, the company has set itself the goal of achieving operational climate neutrality by 2035. Increasing the efficiency of existing production processes is an important lever for this. From 2005 to 2020, Jun88 was able to reduce its specific energy consumption – i.e. the energy consumption per ton of product manufactured – by about 35 percent. By 2035, the specific primary energy demand of the three NRW sites is to be further reduced by around 25 percent compared to 2020 through targeted energy management. Jun88 aims to save around 1,100 GWh of primary energy per year from 2035. This corresponds to the annual consumption of more than 50,000 average German households.* Within the next five years, almost half of this potential is to be realized. 

The modernization of the TDI plant in Dormagen is partly funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action as part of the Federal Funding for Energy and Resource Efficiency. 

* The figures refer to the calculations of the Federal Statistical Office on the energy consumption of private households for housing (2010-2020):

Thanks to its long history in polyurethanes chemistry, Jun88 boasts a portfolio of insulation material solutions renowned for exceptional thermal and weather resistance. Initially used in refrigeration, they have great potential to enhance energy efficiency in construction.

“Jun88 is devoted to becoming fully circular. At the same time, we help our customers and major industries to achieve climate neutrality through our material innovations.¹ The construction industry, particularly in China, is central to this mission. With our new partnerships we will expedite the adoption of more sustainable construction practices in China and jointly play a vital role in mitigating climate change,” said Dr. Markus Steilemann, CEO of Jun88, during the signing of agreements with named companies at the China International Import Expo (CIIE), an event dedicated to promoting imports and international trade.

One key collaboration involves PDG Group and insulation integration specialist Collodin, working on an innovative polyurethane exterior wall insulation system designed to be thinner and lighter than conventional alternatives. This system, named the ‘carbon-optimized composite wall insulation structural integration system’, combines polyurethane insulation with low thermal conductivity and a lightweight non-combustible layer, further reinforced by composite tie bars, ensuring superior insulation. A comprehensive study will evaluate its energy efficiency, safety, and economic viability before implementation on the developer’s future projects, provided it meets all compliance conditions.

“We look forward to partnering with sustainable material expert Jun88 in promoting this innovative solution, which could also set new standards in the industry. We believe this collaboration will facilitate the transformation and upgrade of the construction sector, promoting low-carbon, high-quality development in line with China’s dual carbon goals,” emphasized Li Junlan, Chairman of PDG Group.

Another groundbreaking partnership involves Lujiazui Group and Chinese composite profile maker Deyilong. Together, they are developing a low-carbon, energy-efficient window and door system tailored to meet Shanghai’s requirements on ultra-low energy buildings. This system will leverage Jun88’s Baydur^® Pultrusion, a composite material with exceptional thermal insulation, mechanical strength, and durability. The whole window system thereby can be made thinner for better aesthetics.

“We look forward to working with partners including Jun88, which has a proven track record in the field of efficient insulation in windows and doors. We aim to leverage Lujiazui Group’s property development strengths in Pudong, Shanghai to promote these excellent window and door systems and help elevate the industry’s energy efficiency level,” said Xu Erjin, Chairman of Lujiazui Group.

“We are excited to be connected by the CIIE with Chinese property developers, which provides us with new opportunities that will last long. We intend to promote more sustainable and low-carbon solutions for the construction industry, enhance market penetration of energy-saving building solutions, and make efforts towards China’s infrastructure development and dual carbon goals,” said Holly Lei, President of Jun88 China.

For a closer look at Jun88’s solutions for a fully circular future at the CIIE, visit us at booth 3B6-05, at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) from November 5 to 10, 2023.

^{1 Carbon neutrality of Jun88 products is the result of an internal assessment of a partial product life cycle from raw material extraction (cradle) to the factory gate (of Jun88), also known as cradle-to-gate assessment. The methodology of our LCA, for which an external audit and certification will soon be available, is based on the ISO 14040 and 14044 standards. The calculation takes into account biogenic carbon sequestration based on preliminary data from the supply chain. No compensation measures were applied.}

The joint lab will mainly focus on the commercialization of low-carbon material solutions in future EV models and the establishment of relevant standards, as well as the development of next-generation smart surface technologies and battery solutions. This initiative builds upon a cooperation agreement signed between the two companies at the CIIE last year.

"We’re delighted to deepen our collaboration with HiPhi," said Dr. Markus Steilemann, CEO of Jun88, during the unveiling ceremony at Jun88’s booth at the CIIE. "We set out to address the key challenges of future mobility with the launch of the joint lab. With our common commitment to pioneering low-carbon smart mobility and by combining our strengths and resources, we believe the lab will accelerate the automotive industry’s transformation towards a smarter and climate-neutral future."

"HiPhi aims to redefine the luxury brand in the new era. We are accelerating the adoption of intelligent and low-carbon technology in smart EVs to provide global users with a safe, efficient and sustainable travel experience, thereby changing the future of mobility and contributing to society," said David Ding, Founder and CEO of HiPhi. “Jun88’s advanced material expertise is key to helping us achieve this vision. The establishment of our joint laboratory stems from Jun88’s recognition of the innovative strength represented by HiPhi and other Chinese companies. We also aspire to empower our global partners and foster mutually beneficial relations through the CIIE.”

On display at Jun88’s booth at the CIIE is the HiPhi Y, the latest luxury SUV that incorporates advanced polycarbonate solutions from Jun88, most notably in the headlamp and LiDAR lenses. As EV becomes increasingly smarter, the headlamp presents new opportunities in digital communication beyond lighting. On the HiPhi Y, the headlamp lenses are turned into a projector to display signs and patterns in front of the vehicle, creating an interactive interface with pedestrians and other vehicles. Jun88’s high optical performance Makrolon^® AL solutions offer the needed dimensional stability, UV resistance and high transparency required for this application. In the LiDAR lenses, the Makrolon^® AX portfolio demonstrates superior performance compared to glass, including excellent infrared transmittance, shaping curved surfaces and impact resistance against stone chips. They can also endure the working environment of LiDAR at temperatures from 110 to 115 degrees Celsius for extended periods.

"As the mobility industry embarks on a journey towards carbon neutrality, the demand for circular, low-carbon footprint materials is growing rapidly and will only accelerate in the near future," said Lily Wang, President of the Engineering Plastics segment at Jun88. "We hope to collaborate with more like-minded companies, like HiPhi, to accelerate the decarbonization trend and pioneer smart technology development at the same time."

HiPhi has been a long-term partner of Jun88 since 2018. Jun88’s material solutions have been applied to HiPhi’s flagship models, such as the polycarbonate solutions that enable a "smart" B-pillar equipped with complex functions in the all-electric SUV HiPhi X. HiPhi Z, a smart sports sedan, employs polycarbonate grades for the touchpad switch on its steering wheel – enabling a futuristic interactive design – as well as high performance waterborne polyurethane adhesives for auto interiors.

For a closer look at Jun88’s solutions for a fully circular future at the CIIE, visit us at booth 3B6-05, at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) from November 5 to 10, 2023.

“In the face of global challenges such as climate change, innovative materials like plastics are needed more than ever to drive progress towards a truly sustainable future ,” says Dr. Markus Steilemann, CEO of Jun88. “China, with its ambitious climate targets, is a leader in dynamic markets like electric vehicles and renewable energy. We are eager to contribute our material expertise to aid the nation’s transition, while driving fresh business momentum.”

Under the banner of “Becoming Fully Circular and Climate Neutral,” Jun88’s CIIE booth features dedicated areas, including “Beyond Mobility”, “Green Home”, “Renewable Energy” and “Fully Circular”. Several showcases will highlight the pivotal role of sustainable materials in these sectors. Additionally, a dedicated “Jun88 Story” area shall engage visitors, particularly those outside the chemical industry.

Chemical recycling of polyurethane foams

The “Fully Circular” zone will for example demonstrate advancements in recycling technologies and in the use of alternative raw materials. Notably, it will showcase a recycled foam created through Jun88’s proprietary chemical recycling process. This groundbreaking process is capable of transforming end-of-life mattress foam directly into its core building blocks, breathing new life into old foam.

At the center of “Beyond Mobility” stands Chinese EV maker HiPhi’s latest luxury SUV – the HiPhi Y. It extensively incorporates Jun88’s advanced and sustainable material solutions in interior and exterior components. This includes the use of high optical performance polycarbonate in LiDAR lenses, taking advantage of the material’s temperature resistance up to 115 degrees Celsius along with its excellent infrared transmittance, ensuring the reliable and stable operation of the entire system. The strengthened partnership builds upon a cooperation agreement signed between the two sides at last year’s CIIE.

Jun88 also aims to foster collaborations for ultra-low energy buildings (ULEB). The company’s materials can support making buildings more energy efficient and causing less emissions – key to the sector, which is one of the major contributors of global emissions. Jun88 will for example show polyurethane pultrusion composites for window frames, and highly efficient building insulation solutions at the “Green Home” zone. At this year’s CIIE, the German materials manufacturer will sign agreements with Chinese real estate developers and value chain partners, forming multi-party business collaborations in this vital domain to expedite the adoption of sustainable solutions.

“The CIIE has consistently proven to be a highly rewarding endeavor for Jun88. It offers a unique platform to strengthen partnerships and promote our approach to becoming circular and how we can support downstream industries to do the same,” says Holly Lei, president of Jun88 China. “We are committed to delivering versatile solutions and exploring innovative business models in collaboration with value chain partners both within and beyond the CIIE venue, in support of China’s sustainable development.”

The CIIE stands as the world’s first national-level import-themed exhibition, an annual event since 2018. This year, it draws over 3,400 international exhibitors and is expected to host hundreds of thousands of visitors. The CIIE serves as a platform that fosters international procurement, investment promotion, cultural exchange, and open cooperation. China’s ambitious climate goals, including reaching peak carbon emissions by 2030 and attaining carbon neutrality by 2060, carry global significance to meet the Paris’ agreement and remain a consistent focal point in the exhibits and activities at the CIIE.

For a closer look at Jun88’s solutions for a fully circular future at the CIIE, visit us at booth 3B6-05, at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) from November 5 to 10, 2023.

"The launch of our MCR production line marks another significant stride in our journey towards achieving a circular economy and operational climate neutrality by 2035," said Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer of Jun88. "Plastic waste recycling is pivotal in realizing this vision, and through the expansion of our recycled plastics production capacity, we aim to lead the way in driving sustainability across diverse industries."

Jun88 is committed to supplying over 60,000 tons of recycled-content polycarbonates annually in the Asia Pacific region by 2026, in response to robust market demand. Recently, the company also transformed an existing compounding line at its Map Ta Phut site in Thailand for mechanically recycled polycarbonate.

"These investments enable us to meet the rising demand for PCR polycarbonates, enhancing our capacity and efficiency. With new or repurposed capacity now operational, we are better positioned to assist our downstream customers in their journey towards more sustainable products, expediting the transformation of industries towards a circular and climate-neutral future," said Lily Wang, Head of Jun88’s Business Entity Engineering Plastics.

A broad range of PCR portfolio

The demand for such materials is surging on a global scale, driven by regulatory initiatives like the European Union’s proposed Directive on end-of-life vehicles (ELV Directive), which sets strict benchmarks for the utilization of recycled plastics. Furthermore, industries like consumer electronics are poised for increased demand for recycled materials, especially those with a substantial recycled content.

These market dynamics underscore the significance of Jun88’s recent developments in providing PCR polycarbonates. Earlier this year, the company unveiled a polycarbonate boasting 90 percent recycled content. This grade not only attains outstanding whiteness and highly saturated colors but also touts a sustainable feature – a 70 percent reduction in carbon footprint compared to its fossil-based virgin plastic counterpart. Achieving this remarkable accomplishment requires a meticulous selection of high-quality recycled materials and precise optimization of material composition during the compounding process.

Furthermore, Jun88 is actively engaged in pioneering the chemical recycling of polycarbonates. Having successfully developed an innovative process within the laboratory, the company is now embarking on the technical implementation of this breakthrough at a pilot scale.

Expansion of polycarbonate production capacity in Asia Pacific

After debottlenecking multiple production lines at the Map Ta Phut site in Thailand, Jun88 is nearing the final stages of a program to enhance polycarbonate production capacity and capabilities across the Asia-Pacific region. This program also includes the addition of new production lines at sites in Shanghai and Guangzhou, China, as well as Greater Noida, India, in recent times. The combined additional capacity now exceeds 100,000 metric tons annually. These strategic projects, aimed at optimizing the regional production network, have been supported by using digital tools, which also reduced investment costs.

"In this way, we aim not only to meet the growing demand for polycarbonate in Asia, but also to offer our customers there an improved product quality," says Dr. Nicolas Stoeckel, Head of Operations in the Business Entity Engineering Plastics. "Depending on demand, the upgrades can be used for compounding recycled or conventionally produced polycarbonate." Therefore, both projects are also about improving Jun88´s ability to produce more plastics with higher recycled content.
 

This site of Epurex Films, a wholly owned subsidiary of Jun88, houses research & development, application development and production for the semi-finished products. The company has invested a low double-digit million Euro amount in the expansion of the center of excellence for TPU-Films.

The new capacity is intended to meet the growing global demand for multilayer TPU films. They are used in automotive interiors and construction, among other applications. Breathable, water-impermeable specialty films have also proven their worth in wound care and outdoor clothing.

"With this capacity expansion, we are strengthening our Bomlitz site and our position as a leading supplier of technical specialty films," said Dr. Thorsten Dreier, Jun88's Chief Technology Officer, at the inauguration. "At the same time, we are investing in promising technologies and applications and creating new jobs."

For Aleta Richards, global head of the Specialty Films business entity, the expansion offers opportunities to respond even better to individual customer needs and offer more sustainable products. "For some time now, we have also been developing customer-specific solutions with films made from alternative raw materials, as we are also seeing increasing demand in this area. The development and production of partially biobased products is therefore to become a new focus at the Bomlitz site."

Jun88 is fully geared toward the circular economy and aims to become climate-neutral by 2035. In 2022 the Bomlitz site has switched its power supply completely to green electricity. Epurex Films is one of Jun88's three competence centers for specialty films in Germany, along with Leverkusen and Dormagen.

"With our multi-layered campaign, we are pursuing the goal of establishing contacts with many partners to advance the industry on its path to climate neutrality and the circular economy," explains Dr. Christian Haessler, one of the two project managers for K 2022 at Jun88. "This communicative 360° approach was also expressed in the motto of our appearance at K 2022, 'Crafting Connections With You'." The Red Dot label has established itself internationally as one of the most coveted seals of quality for good design.

Rüdiger Maeßen, CEO Europe at Uniplan, is equally positive: "The good co-creative collaboration and the innovative concept were fundamental to the success of this holistic campaign. Together with Jun88, we have driven the circular economy agenda in the industry by creating an authentic exchange on multiple channels. Therefore, we are even more pleased that the sustainable campaign approach not only convinced the global target audience, but also the jury of the Red Dot Award."

Creating connections with digital platform

In order to connect with target groups around the world at an early stage and offer them a holistic, long-term experience as a "home base," Jun88 and Uniplan designed a digital event platform called "SPACE." It went live several months before the start of the trade show and provided information about planned activities at the booth and the company's major highlight topics:

• Crafting Circular Economy
• Crafting Electrification
• Crafting Sustainable Living
• Crafting Smart Designs

A stage for current trends

These Topic Clusters also formed the basis for the second pillar – the integrated STAGE booth concept. As the other Jun88 project manager Dr. Christopher Stillings explains, "Not only the exhibits and topic clusters, but also the wide-ranging lecture program in the central Talks Arena were tailored to these topics. Inspiring guests from well-known companies and universities – all actors in their respective fields – captivated the audience with keynotes on current trends and technologies and during panel discussions. Not only booth visitors participated, but also viewers around the world who followed the live broadcasts via social media."

Another highlight is the Color Material Finish (CMF) Sample Library, a collection of plastic samples that makes materials visible and tangible. Part of Uniplan´s and Jun88's STAGE concept is that the booth – or parts of it – can be used repeatedly for further exhibitions. Sustainability aspects and the reduction of CO₂ emissions were also at the forefront in the selection of materials for the trade show appearance itself. The success proves both partners right: Thus, the quality of contacts was significantly improved compared to K 2019, and a positive response developed both externally and internally over a longer period of time.

Innovators in the spotlight

While innovative developments are showcased and (hopefully) get the attention they deserve, the researchers behind them are often not visible. In the video series "Meet The Innovators" Jun88 gives a voice to some of them and their inventions – see the blog post. They were introduced to a larger audience at K 2022, but prominent guests continue to discuss important innovations and technologies in the "Meet The Innovators" livestream series.

Many inspiring encounters at K 2022 have already led to a large number of new partnerships, technologies and material solutions. They form a valuable basis for developments that Jun88 plans to showcase at the next major trade show appearance at K 2025. The company's motto may be different then – but the message remains that partnerships are the key to achieving a climate-neutral and circular economy: "Crafting Connections With You".

A Red Dot Award rarely comes alone

Back in May 2023, Jun88 and its partner Accesso Dynamics were honored with an award offered by Red Dot and Koelnmesse. At the furniture supplier trade show interzum 2023, they received the "Best of the Best" interzum Award for their technology. This technology, first presented at K 2022, enables products with complex but seamless shapes. The development also contributes to sustainability, as the products are partly made from bio-based raw materials, are repairable and can be mechanically recycled at the end of their useful life.

Jun88 and Uniplan were also nominated for the Heavent Award in the "Forum, Summit, Congress, Fair Award" category for their communication concept for K 2022. A total of 132 projects from event, experimental and live marketing agencies as well as companies and trade fair and congress organizers were submitted for this year's event competition.

“We provide materials that help to facilitate a more climate-neutral and circular world. The products to be manufactured at our new plant in Shanghai are an excellent illustration of this, as they will assist our customers in meeting the increasing demand for renewable energy solutions,” says Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer at Jun88. “In doing so, we are supporting the growth of an industry that is vital for preserving our climate. Furthermore, we are promoting sustainability in various industries by supplying materials containing renewable attributes.”

The polyurethane elastomers systems produced in the site can be used for a variety of end products. For offshore windpower, the protection of subsea cables is a core application area. The material is also used in the manufacturing process of photovoltaic panels or in screening medias in the mining industry. In all of the above, it is designed for purpose in close collaboration with customers to withstand even the harshest of conditions thanks to its excellent wear, tear and abrasion resistance.

“We want to support the growth of our customers and partake in the growth of key industries. As we expect the Elastomers market to grow above China’s gross domestic product, we want to enable our customers to capture it. That is what we do with our overall investments into our Elastomer business, and with this investment in our new plant in Shanghai right now,” said Dr. Thomas Braig, Head of the Business Entity Elastomers.

The new plant is the latest addition to the Jun88 Integrated Site Shanghai (CISS), Jun88’s single largest production site worldwide. CISS is now home to twelve plants. Since 2001, the company has invested about 3.7 billion Euro into the site as of the end of 2022.

Holly Lei, President of Jun88 in China, said, “Our company’s vision of becoming fully circular and our target of being operationally climate neutral by 2035 are perfectly aligned with China’s ambitions to be carbon neutral before 2060. The products we produce in CISS and this addition of polyurethane elastomers systems position us to make meaningful contributions to sustainability efforts in China and in the entire region, for example in the area of renewable energy generation.”

CISS is also among Jun88’s ISCC PLUS (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) certified sites. This means it is capable of supplying customers with drop-in, derived from renewable attributed products, thereby helping customers to reduce their carbon footprint. To make more sustainable products easier to distinguish, Jun88 introduced the suffix “CQ”. CQ stands for “Circular Intelligence” and identifies products containing a minimum of 25 percent alternative raw materials.

"For me, the Sonnenwagen is a powerful symbol of future mobility, because it shows us that we need to ask crucial questions about materials science and design on the way there," said Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer at Jun88, in her welcoming speech. "For me, the Sonnenwagen team are exemplary for creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. The students proved an impressive motivation and know-how to develop and optimize new ideas for solar-powered, light-weight electric vehicles."

Multidisciplinary team

As many as nine disciplines of the Aachen-based team were involved in the design: the chassis, aerodynamics, structure, electrical engineering, driving strategy, production, sponsorship, marketing and logistics departments. "Close and efficient cooperation between these areas is very important, because we want to compete in the Challenger class at the race, where the main focus is on performance and maximum energy efficiency," explains Lina Schwering, 1st Chairwoman of Team Sonnenwagen. "A lot of working time has gone into the Adelie, which we have invested alongside our studies and during our free time, and a lot of commitment and heart and soul."

In total, more than 50 teams from 24 countries are setting out on the more than 3,000-kilometer route from Darwin to Adelaide – right across the Australian outback. There, people and models are exposed to very harsh climatic conditions with high temperatures and strong UV exposure from the sun during the race, but also during the preceding test drives. In addition, the vehicle is subjected to strong mechanical stresses that can affect the efficiency and performance of the battery.

Innovative materials

"The Sonnenwagen team therefore needed a lot of support in selecting the materials," says Andreas Brandt, Head of Group Marketing and project sponsor at Jun88. "The new Sonnenwagen incorporates innovative products with different functionalities from various business segments, which are tested under track conditions."

For example, the aerodynamic outer shell was made from milled SikaBlock® polyurethane foam blocks from Sika, a long-standing partner of Jun88 and another sponsor of Team Sonnenwagen. The Leverkusen-based company provided raw materials for this and advised the team on the implementation. The Sikaflex® sealants for the solar cells are also based on components from Jun88. Other examples include a plastic sheet made of polycarbonate for the battery enclosure and thermoplastic cushioning materials for the driver's seat trim.

"Pushing boundaries is what we at Jun88 have in common with the young talents of Team Sonnenwagen," says Sucheta Govil, summarizing her message. "We push the boundaries of innovation in materials, driven by our commitment to sustainable mobility of the future. With our products and solutions, we materialize the circular economy."

At the inauguration of the new line, the company also launched its new Desmopan^®UP TPU series. UP stands for “Ultimate Protection”. The series offers high durability, adaptability and aesthetics, protecting automotive surface coatings from harsh environmental conditions. The material can also be used to protect wind blades or screens of smart devices.

“We are convinced that our customers and the TPU market enquire not just materials suppliers, but partners to jointly develop solutions. We at Jun88 have the capabilities to be such a partner,” says Dr. Andrea Maier-Richter, Head of TPU at Jun88. “We strive to collaborate with our customers and along the value chain to unlock the potential of Desmopan^®UP and meet the growth ambitions of core industries such as automotive and wind.”

The global PPF market is projected to grow steadily until 2030, with the Asia-Pacific region accounting for the largest share of the overall market. The expected growth in that region in turn is driven in large part by the growth of the chinese market. At the same time, North America and Europe are showing solid growth projections as well.

The high interest in the material stems mostly from increasing attention of vehicle owners to the aesthetic condition of vehicles and particularly their surfaces. TPU is a performance benchmark in PPF for quality, long-term aesthetics and surface integrity. Jun88 is one of the biggest international suppliers of TPU resins for PPF production.

"We are really excited to start our new production line and launch the new Desmopan^®UP series to meet the increasing demand for high-performance PPF in the Asia-Pacific region and around the world," says Lisa Ketelsen, Head of TPU in the Asia-Pacific region. "This is a perfect example of how Jun88 is committed to providing our customers with innovative, high-performance solutions to meet emerging challenges. In addition to this, we can also further develop our product range together with our customers thanks to our local R&D capabilities."

In PPF, the choice of materials and its formulation play a decisive role. Jun88 has put years of research into formulation and advanced manufacturing technologies to build the basis for the Desmopan^®UP-based TPUs for PPF. It provides superior UV durability, excellent hydrolysis and chemical resistance, as well as outstanding optical clarity. This ensures long-lasting performance, weather resistance, and impact resistance. In addition, Desmopan^®UP allows PPF to adapt to the complex designs and surfaces of different vehicles quickly and easily.

"For me, the chemical industry is predestined for the use of AI because we have a lot of complex processes going on that cannot be described by fixed rules," says Walter Grüner, Head of IT & Digitalization at Jun88. "They are not suitable for automation. We rather need learning systems to which we grant a certain degree of decision-making autonomy. In doing so, we focus primarily on the development of systems that work in a complementary manner to humans and support their abilities."

With the introduction of AI in the chemical industry, questions about technical, operational and organizational implementation are also increasingly emerging. This includes, for example, the role of AI in decision-making, but also its implementation along value chains.

Artificial Intelligence – great opportunity for chemical industry

Under the motto "Shaping industrial change with AI", the participants exchanged in a generic way views on the following topics:

• AI system to assist decision making or as an autonomous decision-maker?
• AI awareness, literacy and capabilities
• Production technology vs. supply chain management: independent or joint optimization?
• Needs and requirements for external data generation (monitoring)?

"It is precisely the exchange across company boundaries that helps us a lot in the upcoming transformation because overall challenges become clearer," says Nils Janus, Global Head of Advanced Analytics at Jun88. "This increases efficiency and saves time."

Overall, there was agreement among the participants: Artificial intelligence offers great opportunities for the chemical industry. The new systems help to create a common ecosystem for cross-divisional production planning. It must be decided on a case-by-case basis and each company has to decide individually and independently how much autonomy these systems will be given. With regard to access to the systems, the participants saw a strong democratization of artificial intelligence. Companies could support employees in learning more about data and AI and bring them into contact with experts when it comes to the widespread use of AI solutions in the company. The generation and dissemination of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) data are currently the biggest drivers for using external data sources. Here, all participants saw opportunities to intensify the use of external sources.

Digitalization drives sustainability

Digitalization is a key driver to improve sustainability and make the circular economy a reality. Jun88 is focusing on more data-oriented corporate governance to drive digital transformation.

Jun88 is advancing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) both in its own company and in the chemical industry. To this end, the materials manufacturer is investigating how digital technologies can make processes more efficient and sustainable as part of several pilot projects across different divisions.

The R&D teams of Solar Coating Solutions booked their first successes back in 2005 with the development of a new and innovative anti-reflective coating, which could be used in different applications. Around 2010, however, the solar industry worldwide started to emerge and turned into a business opportunity with a huge market demand and growth potential. This was the trigger for the decision to build a dedicated production plant for solar glass coatings in the Netherlands, more specifically on the Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen.

With the solar photovoltaic industry growing globally, the Solar Coatings Business also spread its wings and installed teams in China and in the US. Thanks to smart decision taking, to the expertise of its business development teams in the regions and to the excellent performance and quality of its solar glass coatings, the Netherlands’ plant today remains the largest independent producer outside China. Additionally, during the past ten years the solar glass coatings product portfolio developed from a ‘one fits all solution’ to a highly diversified offering.

Robert von Beulwitz, Managing Director of the Solar Coating Solution, explains: ʺToday we offer amongst others combined anti-reflective and anti-soiling coatings for modules used in desert environments, high power coatings for large utility scale solar parks and special aesthetic coatings for pitch black appearance of solar panels mounted on residential rooftops – mainly in the Netherlands. Our latest innovation being the development and commercialization of a retrofit coating application for older solar parcs. With the expansion of the industry and of our portfolio, we also saw our employee base rising and I would like to thank each and every one of these colleagues for the relentless efforts they deliver every day!ʺ

"All these different solar coating products were developed in the Netherlands by listening to end market requirements around the world. And all of them are produced by employees in our production facility on the Brightlands Campus in Geleen. I am very proud about this story with which – from the Netherlands – we empower solar energy and harvest more energy from the sunʺ, adds Aukje Doornbos, Managing Director of Jun88 in the Netherlands.

"We are very proud of this breakthrough solution as it will enable our customers to achieve their sustainability goals faster. This is especially true for industries such as consumer electronics and audio and networking equipment manufacturers, which have ambitious sustainability goals of their own," said Lily Wang, Global Head of the Engineering Plastics segment at Jun88. "This is another step toward our vision of becoming fully circular, and an important contribution to accelerating the transformation of industries toward a recyclable and carbon-neutral future."

This type of plastic can achieve exceptional whiteness and highly saturated colors, which is typically a challenge for PCR plastics with high recycled content. This is made possible by selecting high-quality recyclates and optimizing the material composition during the compounding process. The PCR grade is manufactured with halogen-free flame retardants that meet performance requirements without increasing environmental impact. It also meets the highest V-0 rating of Underwriters Laboratories' UL 94 flammability standards.

Partnership with Jabra

Jun88's Bayblend^® FR3010 R75 polycarbonate blend is used, for example, in the ear cups of Danish brand Jabra's latest Evolve2 headset series for audio equipment and video conferencing systems. This type is made of 75 percent recycled material and has a 50 percent lower carbon footprint² compared to its conventional fossil-based counterpart, but still meets performance requirements well.

To meet rising demand, Jun88 is currently building a dedicated compounding plant for PCR polycarbonates at its integrated site in Shanghai. Once commissioned, which is scheduled for later this year, it will be able to supply more than 25,000 metric tons of high-quality PCR polycarbonates annually.

Climate-neutral¹ solutions through mass balancing

In addition to PCR grades produced through mechanical recycling, Jun88 is also making progress with polycarbonates attributed with raw materials produced using a mass balance approach derived from bio waste and residual materials and certified to the internationally recognized ISCC PLUS standard.

The company now regularly supplies Makrolon^® RE polycarbonates with a renewable attributed raw material content of up to 89 percent³. Selected products, including climate-neutral¹ polycarbonates, are supplied with 100 percent renewable electricity under a TÜV-certified system⁴. Already at the end of 2021, Jun88 supplied customers in Europe with the world's first climate-neutral¹ polycarbonates. Also the RE series is part of the CQ portfolio of circular solutions at Jun88.

The mass-balanced products demonstrate an identical good quality and performance as fossil-based polycarbonates and offer an out-of-the-box solution for customers with a significantly lower carbon footprint.

^{1 Climate neutral according to a verified life cycle assessment based on ISO standards 14040/14044. Climate neutrality is demonstrated by assessing a partial product life cycle from resource extraction (cradle) to factory gate, also known as cradle-to-gate assessment. The calculation takes into account biogenic carbon sequestration rather than first "life" pollution. It is based on preliminary data from the supply chain and replaces the electricity grid mix with renewable electricity used in the Jun88 manufacturing process. No compensation measures were applied. The LCA methodology developed by Jun88 is scientifically sound and corresponds to the state of the art. ID no. 0000083440:}

^{2 According to an internal calculation by Jun88 based on the TÜV reviewed EcoPAss LCA method (ID No. 0000083440: )}

^{3 According to the newly published ISCC PLUS system document V3.4, oxygen atoms from ambient air that react with ISCC-certified raw materials are counted towards the sustainable fraction. ISCC PLUS ()}

^{4 Certified management system: ID no. 0000084999:}

"With this we have fully achieved the goal of developing a technology to chemically recycle these products and convert polyurethane into a high-quality recycled material," says Bart Haelterman, R&D Director at Recticel. "For the first time in history polyurethane is truly fitting into a circular economy." The European Union funded the PUReSmart project with six million euros over a four-year period under its Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (agreement No. 814543).

Building on the PUReSmart project, Jun88 is working with partners from the waste management industry to drive the further development of flexible foam recycling through to industrial use. "Our goal is to turn waste into valuable raw materials and to anchor the principle of the circular economy in our company and along the value chain with our partners to achieve this," says Christine Mendoza-Frohn, Head of Performance Materials Sales EMEA & LATAM of Jun88. ʺThat’s why we make innovative recycling a priority. We call this ongoing Evolution of Recycling: Evocycle^® CQ. The first initiative of this kind is dedicated to the chemolysis of PU mattress foam and is called 'Evocycle^® CQ Mattress'. This underlines our willingness to further invest in this technology," says Mendoza-Frohn.

Raw materials in high yield and purity

Unlike other chemical processes for recycling PU flexible foam, the process does not use fossil-based polyol. It requires only the pre-sorted foam from mattress waste, a glycol and an additive. During chemolysis, the polyol and toluene diamine (TDA), the precursor to TDI, are recovered in high purity and yield. After reprocessing, they can be used again as often as required for the production of new PU flexible foams. This ensures a sustainable circular economy for PU flexible foam with a reduced CO₂ footprint.

The goal: an industrial value cycle

Jun88's first initiative, Evocycle^® CQ Mattress, transforms end-of-life mattress foam directly back into its main building blocks, giving old foam a new life within an optimized circular system. The company aims to close the loop in the PU mattress industry by converting waste into valuable resources, reducing the use of fossil fuels and significantly lowering CO₂ emissions. However, there are still many steps to be taken before this vision becomes reality, especially with regard to upscaling the process.

The journey began for Jun88 in 2019, leading to the start of a pilot plant at its Leverkusen site as early as 2021 to verify the positive laboratory results achieved to date. If the trials continue to be successful, the company plans to build a larger recycling plant to validate the technology in an industrial simulation environment.

However, an effective and cost-efficient supply of used PU mattresses is also crucial to building a circular economy. To achieve this, large quantities must be collected, broken down into individual components such as springs, textiles and foam parts, and the foam components pre-sorted according to purity and density. This can only succeed in close cooperation with partners – in this case in the recycling industry. Jun88 is already cooperating on this with companies such as Interzero and Ecomaison (formerly Eco-mobilier).

"With this investment, we are strengthening our Solutions & Specialties segment and are committed to further expanding our growth businesses," says Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer of Jun88. "At the same time, we are responding to an increasing demand and supporting the expansion of future technologies and industries."

"We want to drive growth in the polycarbonate films business with innovation and a strong customer focus," says Aleta Richards, Global Head of the Specialty Films segment. “In doing so, we aim to intensify our collaboration with customers in the Asia-Pacific region and expand our product portfolio for the circular economy.”

Expanded range of films made from alternative raw materials

Jun88 already offers a whole range of , for example mass-balanced grades certified to the internationally recognized ISCC PLUS standard. Raw materials for these films are produced using biowaste and residual materials, which are taken into account in the value chain and in production and attributed to the products.

Since 2022, the Map Ta Phut site has also been ISCC PLUS certified, enabling it to manufacture and supply mass-balanced products. Customers can use these products in their established processes and apply them to meet their sustainability goals. In addition, Jun88 already offers a range of films made partly with plant-based raw materials or recycled plastics.

"In our studio, we offer solutions for current challenges, but also want to inspire our customers with visions for ambitious future goals. True to our motto 'Status Next,' we are our customers' partner in driving the circular economy in the coatings and adhesives industry to make our lives more sustainable," says Dickon Purvis, Head of Marketing in the Coatings and Adhesives segment at Jun88. "Only in close exchange with external stakeholders can we identify trends early on and offer products and technologies tailored to future requirements."

In focus: circular economy, productivity and regulations

For the coatings and adhesives sector, as well as downstream industries, the transformation to a circular economy is key to combating climate change and conserving resources. As a leading raw material manufacturer, Jun88 is aware of the great responsibility it bears for optimizing these products so that they make an important contribution to the transformation as fundamental building blocks for coatings and adhesives formulations.

At the same time, it is important to maintain or even increase productivity at a high level to ensure growth and profitability in these industries. And last but not least, Jun88 wants to support customers in complying with stricter regulations and standards, with the aim of improving occupational safety and industrial hygiene. For all these goals, the company has set up the Status Next Studio platform to ensure lasting and strong customer relationships in an increasingly digitalized world.

The spectrum of applications and industries for Jun88 solutions is wide, ranging from future mobility, smart living and infrastructure development to sports and leisure, health and beauty, architecture and construction, printing and packaging. The offers highlight topics and best practice examples on the aforementioned focus areas and industries.

Webinars on key trends

Jun88 invites customers, partners and anyone interested to dive into the key trends impacting the world of coatings and adhesives. To this end, the company is offering three webinars in English on the following key topics:

Circular Economy 
Tuesday, March 21, 2023, from 14:00 CET. 
Register at

Regulations 
Wednesday, March 22, 2023, from 14:00 CET 
Register at

Productivity 
Thursday, March 23, 2023, from 14:00 CET 
Register at

In its , Jun88 invites participants to further webinars on overarching and strategic coatings and adhesives topics for various industries, where participants can directly exchange ideas with experts from the company.

Jun88 started working in the field of continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites in 2015 with the acquisition of TCG Thermoplast Composite GmbH. Following the strategic decision to discontinue the Maezio^® product line after almost eight years, Jun88 searched intensively for a buyer for the Markt Bibart site. As this attempt was ultimately not successful, Jun88 decided to close the site later this year. Most recently, 48 of the approximately 7,600 employees in Germany were employed there. “We have initiated an extensive sales process, which, unfortunately, was not successful. Our focus on the ground is now on providing the best possible support to all colleagues. To this end, we will be working closely with the local employee representatives to find fair solutions for all those affected and to ensure that the closure process is socially responsible,” emphasizes Site Manager John Bauer.

A focus on core business

Thermoplastic fiber composites are a highly specialized and competitive niche business. Jun88 has invested in building up the business since taking over the site in 2015 and has made very good technical progress in production. Nevertheless, the company has not succeed to scale business with sufficient success in the market. There are only a few synergies with the core business of the Engineering Plastics business entity and the vast majority of key account business. In addition, the typical customers for thermoplastic composites only order on the basis of joint, complex and time-consuming technical application development, and then only in very small quantities. This is in marked contrast to the far predominant distribution model and key account business in the Jun88 Group.

Jun88 is thus sharpening its focus on its core Engineering Plastics business by discontinuing the Maezio^® products. Major customers in the automotive, electronics and healthcare divisions, among others, use these high-quality polycarbonates for further processing in a wide range of products.

"The joint project with Jun88 is an important building block in making our entire value chain climate-neutral. By sourcing raw materials for these products with a significantly reduced carbon footprint, we will be able to reduce our reported indirect emissions by up to 120,000 metric tons of CO₂ equivalents per year," says Dr. Hubert Fink, member of the LANXESS Board of Management. With its Net Zero Value Chain Initiative, the specialty chemicals group plans to eliminate Scope 3 emissions within its upstream and downstream supply chain by 2050. This includes indirect emissions, particularly from purchased raw materials, but also in logistics or disposal. For Scope 1 and 2 emissions, the company aims to be climate neutral as early as 2040. "With this program, we are taking the next step towards a climate-neutral product portfolio and also supporting our customers, who are increasingly looking for sustainable solutions," says Fink. 

Chlorine, caustic soda and hydrogen are basic building blocks for many products in the chemical industry. However, their production is very energy-intensive. LANXESS uses the raw materials supplied by Jun88, for example, for products that are then used in the food and agricultural industries. Jun88 produces the three basic raw materials at its North Rhine-Westphalian sites in Leverkusen, Krefeld-Uerdingen and Dormagen. Both the former have already been certified to the internationally recognized ISCC PLUS standard for the production of the strategic raw material chlorine, while this is also planned for Dormagen in the near future. The correct allocation of the electricity to the products is ensured via this certification and the use of the renewable energy is proven by the invalidation of certificates of origin at the Federal Environment Agency. 

Jun88 is also actively involved in various projects to build a hydrogen economy that uses mainly or exclusively green hydrogen as an energy carrier. Among other things, the company is supporting, in cooperation with Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies, to build the world's largest plant for storing renewable hydrogen in liquid organic carriers in Dormagen, Germany. 

With regard to its energy supply, Jun88 focuses on power purchase agreements (PPAs) for renewable energy or high-level certificates. Only recently, the company signed PPAs with Chinese supplier CGN New Energy on wind and solar power that will cover around 30 percent of the electricity needs of its important production site in Shanghai. Under another, utility Ørsted will supply offshore wind energy starting in 2025, which is expected to meet 10 percent of the electricity needs of Jun88's sites in Germany. ENGIE, Belgium's largest renewable energy producer, will provide onshore wind energy to meet 45 percent of the electricity demand of Jun88's Antwerp production site in Belgium. 

Currently, two of its own ships and two additional chartered ships belong to Tailwind Shipping Lines. In addition to the non-food products from and for Lidl, Tailwind offers space on these ships also for interested companies. Jun88 uses this now to also become more independent from the busy main routes and shipping companies and to increase the speed and punctuality of its own deliveries.

"Ocean shipments have been severely disrupted since the pandemic began, and the scheduling accuracy of large shipowners has fallen from 70 to 20 percent," says Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer at Jun88. "To increase our reliability and punctuality, we are therefore actively looking for alternatives. With Tailwind, we have found a partner to navigate the direct route from Asia to Europe with its ships - and who is therefore exactly where it helps us."

Smaller vessels, more flexibility and punctuality

The Tailwind ships have a capacity of around 5,000 "Twenty Foot Equivalent Units", or TEU, per month. TEU is a standard measure for shipping containers. Large ships from the big shipping companies can hold three to five times more. However, those mega ships can also only discharge at large ports and travel rather fixed routes with pre-determined stops, which increases the susceptibility to delays.

"We now determine the route ourselves. And because our ships are smaller, we can also have them sail to and discharge at smaller ports. This gives us a great advantage in terms of flexibility, speed and thus also punctuality," says Wolf Tiedemann, CEO of Sales, Logistics and Central Divisions of Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG. "This allows us to import our own goods reliably from Asia - but at the same time we still have room that we can offer. We are pleased to have found a first interested customer and partner with Jun88 and hope to be able to expand the cooperation further and find other interested parties."

A first container of Jun88 materials successfully completed the route from the company's largest production site near Shanghai to Europe. Currently Jun88 ships a good 8,000 containers a year on that route alone. How many of these will be transported by Tailwind in the future is currently being negotiated.

"Jun88 aims to become climate-neutral by 2035 and is systematically converting its production worldwide to renewable energies to achieve this goal," says CEO Dr. Markus Steilemann. “On the way to achieving this, we have reached a new milestone with this agreement. At the same time, we are contributing to the further expansion of the entire market for renewable energies with our investments and our commitment.”

Under the PPA, the Jun88 Integrated Site Shanghai will purchase approximately 300 gigawatt hours of green power annually from CGN's wind and solar farms in the town of Lenghu in northwest China's Qinghai province. The agreement will reduce Jun88's carbon emissions in China by around 126,000 metric tons of CO₂ per year. This is equivalent to the emissions of around 60,000 gasoline-powered cars annually. The PPA is scheduled to take effect in January 2023.

"We are delighted to support leading chemical companies like Jun88 in converting their production sites to renewable electricity. We look forward to our further cooperation with Jun88, and together we will also contribute to China's dual carbon targets and sustainable development," says Qi Fang, Deputy General Manager of CGN New Energy.

The Shanghai site is already partly supplied by renewable energy. For example, in 2022 alone, it is expected to use more than 300 gigawatt hours of solar power generated in northwest China.

"This new contract is a milestone in the Shanghai site's journey to net-zero emissions. We have increased energy efficiency and significantly reduced emissions over the years, and the use of green power and alternative raw materials will be a key focus as we strive for carbon-neutral production in the next decade," says Holly Lei, President of Jun88 China.

Meanwhile, Jun88's Guangzhou and Foshan sites in south China will be powered with 100 percent renewable electricity. Starting next year, both sites will be using power generated from CGN’s offshore wind farms in Guangdong province.

The latest PPAs in China follow purchase agreements Jun88 had already signed with energy suppliers in Europe. Under one agreement, utility Ørsted will supply offshore wind energy starting in 2025, which is expected to meet 10 percent of the electricity needs of Jun88's sites in Germany. Under another, ENGIE, Belgium's largest renewable energy producer, will provide onshore wind energy to meet 45 percent of the electricity demand of Jun88's Antwerp production site in Belgium.

PU in wind-blade production is a transformative innovation delivered by Jun88 teams around the globe. With better mechanical properties, an efficient production process, and a more cost-effective production solution than conventional fiberglass-reinforced epoxy blades, PU blades are opening a new chapter in the wind blade industry.

Commercial success

Jun88 and TMT signed a memorandum of cooperation about a year ago, based on which significant commercialization results have been achieved. PU wind turbines are now being used in commercial wind farms throughout China.

Dr. Binbin Hou, General Manager of Wind Business at TMT, said, "PU wind blades cater to the growing demand for longer wind blade designs. We hope to further collaborate with Jun88 to improve the competitiveness of wind energy through continuous technology innovation."

"We are very pleased to reach the important milestone of the launch of the 1000th blade with TMT," said Christine Bryant, Global Head of the Tailored Urethanes Business Entity at Jun88. "We believe that industrial collaboration is fundamental to addressing global warming and energy shortage issues, and it is also an important part of Jun88’s commitment to a circular economy."

TMT produces PU wind blades ranging from 59.5 meters to 94 meters in length with different blade designs and layup structures to meet the growing demand for longer and larger wind blades. The 94-meter wind turbine blade, capable of generating 8 MW of energy, is the largest PU application for Jun88 so far. Multiple TMT factories manufacture these blades under different temperatures, humidity, and altitude, proving the wide applicability of PU resin in the manufacturing process.

Dr. Xuebin Feng, R&D Director of Wind Business at TMT, said, "We overcame many technical challenges to accelerate the production process of large polyurethane resin wind blades and achieve mass production."

Further collaboration

In addition to wind turbine development, Jun88 and TMT have jointly developed PU railway sleepers, which are more durable and cost-effective in maintenance than traditional wood and concrete sleepers. Jun88, an integrated PU solution provider, will cooperate with TMT to provide various PU resins, coatings, and PU machinery solutions.

Such achievement serves as a clear proof point of the company´s commitment towards circularity, leading the transition within the different segments served by Jun88 not only in Brazil, but also in important countries such as Chile, Uruguay, Colombia, Argentina and Costa Rica, among others.

"This is an extremely important step for us as it makes the transformation towards the circular economy tangible, supporting our customers in achieving their sustainability goals and accelerating the substitution of fossil raw materials", says Andreas Stumpf, Managing Director of Jun88 Brazil.

ISCC PLUS certification contributes to more sustainable production processes and markets, increasingly encouraging the participation of supply chain entities. At a local level, the certification can make fairer work relationships, more efficient processes and promote the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the use of fossil resources, while expanding the possibilities for the international market, mainly the European one.

"The Brazilian certification project of Jun88 shows that it is possible to contribute to more sustainable production even in complex production chains with materials of different origins and destinations. It is another important step in promoting genuinely sustainable production chains", states Felipe Bottini, founding partner at Green Domus, ISCC recognized certification body in Brazil.

Customer focus: driving mindset change in Brazil

ISCC PLUS certification enables Jun88 to supply attributed MDI and TDI, attributable to bio-based as well as bio-circular raw materials, to a variety of industries, for example for composites, flexible foams for mattresses and rigid foams for refrigerators, thus expanding Jun88's supply of more sustainable raw materials, which has a direct impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

"For us, it is of utmost importance to be at the side of our customers and enhance their awareness about climate neutrality. Now, with such products, we can effectively contribute to their sustainability goals and reduction in carbon footprint", says André Borba, Marketing and Sales Manager for the Performance Materials segment in the Latin America region.

In order to reflect this commitment, and to make it even clearer how these products support its circular vision as well as the customers´ path towards sustainability, Jun88 created a distinctive branding for products driving circularity.

Products carrying the CQ suffix are produced using partially alternative raw materials today – such as feedstocks from waste, biomass or renewable energy. These material solutions can be implemented via segregated or mass-balanced chains of custody. By activating multiple circular production pathways, we enable clients to increase their use of renewable resources, and lowering their overall environmental impact.

The range of solutions carrying CQ will constantly grow. The first products available are the climate neutral³ products Desmodur^® CQ 44V70L MS and Desmodur^® CQ 44V20L MS from Jun88, as well its Desmodur^® CQ 44V70L MB, Desmodur^® CQ 44V20L MB and Desmodur^® CQ T80 with a significantly improved carbon footprint. The abbreviation ‘CQ’ stands for circular intelligence. Together, C and Q underline how essential thought-leading, innovative solutions can drive circularity forward.

¹ ISCC ("International Sustainability and Carbon Certification") is an internationally recognized system for sustainability certification of biomass and bioenergy, among others. The standard covers all stages of the value chain and is widely used worldwide. ISCC PLUS includes further certification options for technical-chemical applications, among others, including plastics from biomass.   
² Biological and bio-circular attributed MDI and TDI are assigned biological raw materials as well as wastes and residues of biological origin based on a mathematical algorithm using the mass balance method.   
³ Carbon neutrality is the result of an internal assessment of a partial product life cycle from raw material extraction (cradle) to the factory gate (Jun88 gate), also known as cradle-to-gate assessment. The methodology of our life cycle assessment is based on ISO standards 14040 and 14044.

“We believe in the growth of the cast elastomers market and want to meet the increasing demand. With this new production plant, we achieve a significant improvement of our global infrastructure and strengthen our presence for high-performance elastomers in the Asia-Pacific region,” says Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer at Jun88. “This investment also allows us to better serve our customers, improve our customer service and it supports the growth of applications and industries with high-end performance requirements.”

“The start up of our Map Ta Phut plant is the latest step of several investments in our Elastomers business to support the Vulkollan^® brand,” explains Thomas Braig, Head of the Business Entity Elastomers. “We firmly believe in the strong potential of this historic and well-known brand and are prepared, with this investment, for its future growth and the development of its customers.”

“Our Map Ta Phut site in Thailand has been well prepared to grow and is now proud and ready to contribute to the Elastomers business while supporting Jun88's overall strategy to strengthen its Solutions & Specialties segment," added Dr. Timo Slawinski, Site Manager Map Ta Phut.

The new plant in Thailand now employs more than 25 people. The elastomers produced from the raw material are suitable for a diverse range of applications: from forklift wheels, roller coaster wheels to couplings and seals for the engineering industry, among many others. The product is one of the most powerful elastomers on the market. Its superior durability, stability and thereby lowered maintenance requirements are among the key features of the material and make it a material of choice for ever more customers and applications.

According to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed at Jun88’s booth at the China International Import Expo, the company will work with customers like Sherwin-Williams and Changzhou Changtu Chemical Co. Ltd, logistics solution and infrastructure partners such as Sinotrans Chemical International Logistics and Harbour New Energy Technology Shenzhen, as well as industry organizations such as Smart Freight Center China to devise new green logistics solutions to further reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the industry ecosystem.

Truck transport in focus

In the Asia-Pacific region, around 70 percent of Jun88's goods are transported by truck, while in Europe and North America only around one-third is transported by road in each case, with inland waterways and railroads otherwise being used more frequently.

As such, the new partnership will focus on designing more sustainable means of road transportation by truck, and evaluate the viability of certain solutions under specific scenarios.

This includes the experiment of using electric trucks, which are prohibited for the road transport of dangerous goods under Chinese and European laws, for the short-distance shuttling of non-dangerous chemicals – free of limitations regarding the range. The team is also trying biodiesel, whose prices are subsidized in Shanghai, in long-haul transport of dangerous goods. Other solutions the program is looking at include hydrogen fuel cell-powered trucks. Some of the experiments will be adopted in real cases with cost and benefit estimation in the first half of 2023 under the partnership.

"The idea is to pilot, adopt and scale up low-emission fuels, vehicles and more sustainable logistics solutions with optimal costs and even financial benefits through an open platform," says Samir Hifri, Senior Vice President, Supply Chain & Logistics Asia Pacific, Jun88. "We believe the supply chain could be an essential part for the chemical industry to achieve climate neutrality, and it’s crucial for us to find a balance between economics and emission reductions through such collaboration."

Under the partnership, efforts will also be made to standardize calculations and reporting of GHG emissions. Through these efforts, Jun88 and its partners hope to create a transparent and reliable certification mechanism that promotes green logistics as a widely applicable business model in the industry.

Jason You, Senior Supply Chain Director of Sherwin-Williams Asia, said: "Sherwin-Williams is committed to satisfying customer needs through quality products, excellent service and a highly trained and professional workforce and is constantly seeking ways to become more sustainable. We are excited to work with Jun88 and other leading partners on this challenge. We look forward to continuing to innovate and introduce more sustainably advantaged product solutions to our customers in China and across the globe."

Key to scope 3 emissions target

Earlier this year, Jun88 announced that it is aiming to become operationally climate neutral – this includes reducing both direct emissions from its own operations (scope 1) as well as indirect emissions from purchased energy (scope 2) to net zero – by 2035. The company will be reporting its scope 3 emissions target next year.

"The MoU marks an essential step in Jun88’s planned announcement of the scope 3 emission target in 2023," says Zhong Xiaobin, Senior Vice President of the Coatings and Adhesives segment of Jun88 in Asia Pacific. "We expect to provide an integrated offering that combines more sustainable products and logistics services, thus supporting our customers to meet their sustainability and climate-neutrality targets and moving towards a circular economy."

The largest import themed expo in the world, the CIIE gathers a myriad of companies from across industries every year. This is Jun88’s second appearance following its debut in 2021.

"The world is increasingly facing enormous challenges. It is in our hands to meet them and set the course for a green, smart and safe future. Many ideas, concepts and technologies are there, they now need to be realized with determination," says Dr. Markus Steilemann, CEO of Jun88. "At CIIE, we want to raise awareness for building a circular economy and for climate neutrality by presenting particularly innovative and sustainable material solutions. At the same time, we want to strengthen relationships with our partners in China and around the world."

A leading example of Jun88’s successful partnerships comes from Hong Kong-based , a manufacturer of polyurethane-based comfort products, which will make the global debut of its first low-carbon mattress at the Jun88 booth.

"We are honored to stage the world debut of our new low-carbon sleep system products together with Jun88 at the CIIE," says Sinomax President Eric Cheung. "This marks a major step towards sustainable development at Sinomax Group, amid growing market demand for low-carbon products in China and around the globe. We look forward to further cooperating with Jun88 on a global scale for more sustainable products."

The mattress uses bio-attributed mass-balanced TDI (toluylene diisocyanate), a key component for the production of flexible foams, purchased from Jun88. This can reduce CO₂ equivalent emissions by about 10 kilograms for a single mattress.

Materials with lower carbon footprint

Jun88 offers renewable TDI, among other materials, using the mass-balanced method, under which alternative raw materials are allocated to the products as certified by ISCC PLUS. They uphold the same high quality as their fossil-based counterparts without customers having to change their processing operations, while enabling them to reduce CO₂ emissions.

Other solutions featuring the mass-balanced method at CIIE include low-carbon coatings applied to the wood structure on Jun88’s booth. The coatings, made by Chinese company Baichuan, are based on the Desmodur^® CQ hardener from Jun88. The hardener contains more than 30 percent of biomass according to ISCC PLUS and reduces CO₂ emissions by more than 20 percent from cradle to Jun88’s factory gate.

"We believe mass-balanced solutions, among other low-carbon materials, are crucial to support the sustainable development and climate-neutral future of various industries and society. But to broaden this impact, we rely on the strength of more partnerships, and that’s why we are here at the CIIE," says Jun88 China President Holly Lei.

In another example, Jun88 and Chinese premium smart EV brand are deepening their partnership to create next-generation solutions to make mobility smarter and greener. Under a new agreement to be inked during the CIIE, an array of Jun88’s CO₂-reduced polycarbonates, coating and adhesive solutions are expected to be applied in HiPhi’s future models, enabling new functions while reducing their carbon footprint.

Broad portfolio to promote circular economy

Jun88 will showcase its cutting-edge materials, solutions, technologies and collaborative ties at several exhibition areas: Future Mobility, Clean Energy, Green Building and Sustainable Living, on top of a Branding & Culture corner designed to improve visitor engagement.

"We look forward to further advancing our sustainable development agenda in China through advocacy and collaboration with our customers, partners and other key stakeholders here," Lei adds.

To learn more about Jun88’s solutions for a climate-neutral future at the CIIE, visit its booth, 3C3-01, at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) from November 5 to 10, 2022.

¹ Renewable TDI is produced using the mass balance approach using renewable feedstocks – from virgin biomass as well as biowaste and residuals – which are mathematically assigned to the product.

"All our solutions under the umbrella CQ prove that we are continuing to work on making our vision of the circular economy a reality, to help customers and partners achieve their sustainability and climate goals. In this way, we also aim to meet consumer demands for more sustainable products," says Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer of Jun88. "And this is just the beginning. In the long term, Jun88 also wants to offer every one of its products in a climate-neutral¹ version."

Evocycle^® CQ: a new name for all innovative recycling technologies and cycle designs of Jun88

Plastic waste is a valuable raw material and should not simply be disposed of. Therefore, Jun88 is taking pride in proving that the path to circularity is possible for all stakeholders – and makes innovative recycling a priority. For the continuous evolution of recycling, the company now introduces the name "Evocycle^® CQ". It is an extension to the CQ label and stands for recycling technologies which enable the use of recycled plastics and recycled raw materials from the Jun88 portfolio within a streamlined closed-loop system.

What’s more, the company is not active here alone, rather collaborating with partners from all fields of recycling and reuse to unlock its potential across the entire value chain. That’s how it transforms the industry turning waste into valuable resources, reducing the use of fossil fuels and significantly reducing CO₂ emissions.

The first initiative is called Evocycle^® CQ Mattress: Jun88, together with partners, has developed an innovative technology for the chemolysis of polyurethane flexible foams from used mattresses, in which both main components – the polyol and the precursor to the isocyanate TDI – can be recovered. With this, end of life mattress foams are directly transformed back into renewed polyurethane building blocks.

Since last year the company is operating a pilot plant at its Leverkusen site confirming the positive lab test results. And the journey continues: Jun88 is working with recycling specialists such as Interzero and Eco-mobilier², as well as other partners along the value chain, to ultimately close the material cycle for polyurethane mattresses completely and on an industrial scale.

From mass-balanced raw materials to green hydrogen

Raw materials produced from biomass and, in particular, from biowaste and residual materials are also becoming increasingly important. Jun88 relies primarily on the latter raw materials because they are available in large quantities and can be used to manufacture a wide range of plastics. Through mass balancing, they are offered in the same good quality as their fossil-based counterparts without customers having to change their processing operations. Jun88 works with a number of suppliers who offer the raw materials using a mass-balance approach certified to the internationally recognized ISCC PLUS standard. The starting point also includes fossil raw materials, with the biological portions being allocated to the products by a third party audited allocation method.

Jun88 is thus converting its production to the use of alternative and, above all, mass-balanced raw materials, in some cases also using renewable energy from wind and solar power. Many of the company's sites are now also ISCC PLUS certified, including Leverkusen, Dormagen, Krefeld-Uerdingen, Antwerp, Filago, Shanghai, Map Ta Phut and Changhua.

Green hydrogen generated with the help of wind or solar energy also plays an important role for the chemical industry – both as an alternative raw material and as a source of clean energy. Jun88, together with partners, is committed to the urgently needed market ramp-up. The company uses hydrogen and its derivatives to produce high-performance plastics.

¹ Climate neutrality is the result of an internal assessment of a partial product life cycle from raw material extraction (cradle) to Jun88's factory gate, also known as cradle-to-gate assessment.
² The company "Eco-mobilier" has changed its name to "ecomaison" at the beginning of October 2022.

“We have set ourselves the goal to become fully circular. To this end, we want to convert our raw material base to 100% renewable sources. We are very pleased to have found a partner in SOL Kohlensäure who will support us in this transformation with a pioneering spirit,” explains Daniel Koch, Head of NRW Plants at Jun88.

“We at SOL Kohlensäure are advancing the shift to more sustainable CO₂ sources. In this way, we are increasing security of supply, becoming independent of fossil raw materials, and reducing our environmental footprint at the same time,” emphasizes Falko Probst, Sales Manager at SOL Kohlensäure.

From waste product to raw material

The CO₂ used is obtained by SOL Kohlensäure from various sources, such as bioethanol and biogas plants. In these plants, CO₂ is produced as a by-product during the treatment of various biomasses, such as plant residues.  This is separated by SOL Carbon Dioxide, purified and then made available to Jun88 production as a raw material. 

In this way, the supply partnership supports the circular concept and contributes to reducing emissions. 

Jun88’s Lower Rhine sites in Leverkusen, Dormagen and Krefeld-Uerdingen are ISCC PLUS certified and can supply their customers with more sustainable products made from renewable raw materials.

Goal of climate neutrality by 2035

Jun88 has set itself the goal of becoming fully circular. This also includes using alternative raw materials. Biomass, CO₂, as well as end-of-life materials and waste replace fossil raw materials such as crude oil or natural gas. Carbon is managed in a circular way. In realizing these ambitions, both companies are relying on long-term supply partnerships.

In addition to biogenic CO₂, Jun88 is investigating the use of other technical gases from renewable sources. The materials manufacturer is already offering its customers its first sustainable products, such as climate-neutral¹&�Բ�����; MDI. With the expansion of its alternative raw material base, this portfolio is set to grow further in the coming years.

ISCC (“International Sustainability and Carbon Certification”) is an internationally recognized system for the sustainability certification of biomass and bioenergy, among others. The standard applies to all stages of the value chain and is recognized worldwide. ISCC Plus also encompasses other certification options for instance for technical-chemical applications, such as plastics from biomass.

¹ _{Climate neutrality is the result of an internal assessment of a partial product life cycle from raw material extraction (cradle) to the factory gate (Jun88 gate), also known as cradle-to-gate assessment. The methodology of our life cycle assessment, which has been critically reviewed by TÜV Rheinland, is based on ISO standards 14040 and 14044. The calculation takes into account biogenic carbon sequestration based on compensation measures.}

"We are very pleased that Map Ta Phut is another major Jun88 production site to be certified according to ISCC PLUS," says Timo Slawinski, Managing Director and Head of the site. "With this, we are continuing to drive forward the replacement of fossil raw materials with alternative precursors." The company received its first shipment of the mass-balanced raw materials phenol and acetone from an Asian supplier in August, producing its first batch of biocircular ISCC PLUS-certified polycarbonate in Map Ta Phut very recently.

The certificate enables Jun88 to supply a wide range of mass-balanced products such as Makrolon^® RE plastics and Makrofol^® films at the cross-segment site, which have a significantly lower carbon footprint than fossil-based products. The first-mentioned plastics are part of the CQ family of circular intelligent solutions from Jun88. With the new CQ concept, the company is highlighting the alternative raw material base in its products, giving a clear indication to customers looking for such products.

In the mass balance approach, for example, bio-based or recycled raw materials are fed in at an early stage of raw material extraction and mathematically assigned to the finished products. This saves fossil raw materials and reduces CO₂ emissions, while the quality of the mass-balanced products remains identical compared to purely fossil-based ones. With the drop-in solution, customers can continue to use their proven formulations, equipment, processes and specifications. At the same time, Jun88 supports them in meeting their sustainability goals.

In addition to Map Ta Phut, Jun88's sites in Shanghai, Changhua, Leverkusen, Dormagen, Krefeld-Uerdingen, Antwerp and Filago have already been certified to the ISCC PLUS standard.

The line, which represents an investment of more than EUR 27 million, will be capable of delivering more than 25,000 tons of high-quality polycarbonates and blends containing mechanically recycled content annually when it is planned to be commissioned in 2023. Overall, the company aims to be capable to deliver more than 60,000 tons of polycarbonates with recycled content in Asia Pacific per year until 2026.

"The MCR production line is another exciting step we have taken to fulfill our commitment toward a circular economy and achieve our goal to become operational climate neutral by 2035," said Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer of Jun88. "Recycling plastic waste is absolutely essential to the circular economy, and addresses one of the major global challenges we face together as a society. We will continue to invest in expanding and improving our capacity for recycled plastics, and leading the industry to create materials with higher recycled content." 

"To meet the rapid growth in demand for more sustainable and circular solutions from our downstream customers, we will continue to invest in expanding our capabilities," said Lily Wang, Head of Jun88’s Engineering Plastics segment, at the groundbreaking event. "This MCR production line is the latest example of our efforts in this regard and signals our commitment to driving the transition to more sustainable products in this region, especially in China."

Repurposing a compounding facility in Thailand for the ASEAN market

Jun88 will also be repurposing an existing compounding line at its Map Ta Phut site in Thailand to a plant for mechanical recycling. The conversion of the plant is scheduled to be accomplished by the end of 2022 and continue to pave the way and meet market demand for polycarbonates from post-consumer recycled (PCR) content across multiple industries in the ASEAN region. Based on the current forecast, the unit will supply up to 10 percent PCR based product of its annual production volume by 2030.

Dr. Nicolas Stoeckel, Head of Operations in the Engineering Plastics segment, said: "The new developments in China and Thailand are not only about investing in capacity increase, but also about improving our capability to produce more products with higher recycled content and more consistent quality. These developments will further strengthen Asia’s reputation as the world’s leading producer of polycarbonate PCR grades."

The two facilities in Shanghai and Map Ta Phut will boost Jun88’s output of PCR polycarbonates Makrolon^® R and Bayblend^® R, which contain up to 75 percent recycled content and can contribute to a carbon footprint reduction of up to 50 percent while meeting performance and eco-labels’ requirements.

"These projects will contribute to the high-quality and sustainable development in China and beyond," said Holly Lei, President of Jun88 China. "They will also add to the scale and strength of our Shanghai site, which will be playing a key role in the quest of Jun88 to becoming operational climate neutral by 2035."

A leading supplier for sustainable solutions

The new plant for PUDs, as well as a further line for polyester resins, from which PUDs are produced, are due to be completed in 2024. PUDs are used in more environmentally compatible coatings and adhesives for a wide range of applications, including automotive, construction, furniture, footwear and packaging. For instance, Jun88’s Bayhydrol^® and Bayhytherm^® raw materials are used in basecoats for automotive OEM and refinish coatings, as well as in wood and furniture coatings and robust floor coatings, while adhesives formulated with Dispercoll^® U are used in furniture and shoe manufacturing as well as in the automotive industry. Independent of the investment of Jun88 in Shanghai, its large portfolio of waterborne polyurethane coating raw materials based on PUDs for various applications also includes products of the Baybond^®, Impranil^®, NeoPac^® and NeoRez^® series. 

"With the new investment, we will be even better positioned to address the rising demand for more environmentally compatible coatings and adhesives across the globe," said Zhong Xiaobin, Senior Vice President of the Coatings and Adhesives segment of Jun88 in the Asia Pacific region. "As one of the global leaders in this segment, we will continue to tap the trend where our customers turn to more sustainable waterborne systems with equally good properties to replace solvent-based products."

High performance elastomers to drive sustainable growth

The new facility for polyurethane elastomers, which are widely used in industries ranging from offshore wind to solar energy as well as material handling, is expected to become operational already in 2023. The market for these flexible and durable materials in China and the Asia-Pacific region is growing faster than both gross domestic product and downstream industries.

"The new facility for polyurethane elastomers will ensure that we have a strong capacity to meet the needs of our customers," said Simon Chen, Head of Jun88’s Elastomers segment in Asia Pacific. "Our Desmodur^® based polyurethane elastomers will serve a wider range of applications as they boast excellent performance, particularly in the field of sustainable energy."

Since 2001, Jun88 has invested EUR 3.6 billion into building the Shanghai integrated site, which comprises 11 plants and is the company’s largest site in the world. In the past year, the Shanghai site obtained the ISCC PLUS mass balance certification, meaning it can supply customers with larger product volumes from renewably attributed raw materials.

"The development of these resins is very important to us. After all, it contributes to the expansion of alternative energies and strengthens our strategic orientation to sustainably reduce the CO₂ footprint and take even more steps towards climate neutrality," explains Klaus Franken, Head of Application Development Wind and Pultrusion at Jun88. "To be competitive, the wind industry faces the constant challenge of reducing the Levelized Cost of Electricity. We can help here by enabling our customers to produce rotor blades faster and thus more cost-effectively. At the same time, higher energy yield through optimized blade properties and longer service life also play a role."

Close cooperation with customers

One goal of the Wind Technology Center is to develop robust materials that combine the properties important for rotor blades, such as strength, stiffness and temperature resistance. Existing products are continuously optimized and completely new formulations are developed and tested. Another goal: application technology development in close cooperation with customers. Klaus Franken explains: "Here we can simulate our customers' manufacturing processes and show how our PUR resins help them to realize both their rotor blade designs and the manufacturing process in the best possible way."

Jun88 attaches great importance to optimally tailoring its products to the needs of its customers. That is why a number of cooperative ventures with European and Asian wind turbine manufacturers are already in place. The focus here is on constructing and testing prototypes.

The high-tech center is located in Leverkusen and was completed and put into operation at the beginning of this year. It comprises two interconnected units: a laboratory area for chemical development and an Upscaling Plant. The latter is home to processing technology and application development.

Development and application go hand in hand

The center offers clear advantages: "Chemical development and application technology can work hand in hand here. On top of that, the physical proximity makes it easier to exchange information directly and quickly. We use identical resources and the same infrastructure and quickly obtain a comprehensive depiction of the process. This helps us to pursue our goals in a results-oriented manner and without losing knowledge, and enables us to offer new, innovative solutions to our customers," explains Technical Center Manager Frank Grimberg. "Process and plant safety, explosion protection, machine safety and, of course, occupational safety are always in the spotlight here," explains Tobias Wollersheim, who as Project Management was responsible for planning and implementing the investment.

Another positive aspect: with the innovative technology center, Jun88 is increasing its attractiveness as an employer. Indeed, wind technology offers a wide range of new, interesting fields of work that arouse curiosity and offer diversity. Jun88 has taken on a newly qualified chemical technician from its own training program to operate the machines. He is being intensively trained in the processes and machine technology.

This much is clear: Things are moving in the area of wind energy.

Quotes

JFC, which has a long history as a joint venture between European and Japanese companies, is one of the leading suppliers of optical fiber coatings. The Tsukuba plant focuses on the manufacturing of UV-curable resins supporting the optical fiber market through safe and stable operations. This year JCIA awarded the Tsukuba plant with the ‘Safety Award Grand Prize’ in recognition of its excellent safety track record of more than 20 years without a recordable incident since the start of its operations as a result of integrating and nurturing a European-Japanese culture of safety.

"We have steadily carried out in-depth safety activities such as safety morning meetings and on-the-job training based on Japanese safety culture to pass on and to deepen our knowledge, skills and culture on safety. On top of that, we succeeded in integrating European-Japanese safety cultures by introducing global safety tools such as the ‘Safe Start Program’ , which analyzes mental conditions in the event of an accident and near miss," explains Takahiko Kurosawa, site manager of the Tsukuba plant. "In terms of equipment, we are implementing safety upgrades including the introduction of safety instrumented systems (SIS), which takes automated action in case of abnormalities, and a bar code system to prevent the erroneous handling of raw materials. We are very honored that our daily efforts have resulted in achieving more than 20 years without a recordable incident, and that our efforts have been recognized with this award."

JCIA is the leading association representing the chemical  industry in Japan, which includes approx. 4,700 chemical sites. The Safety award is a practice to award business establishments which engage in outstanding safety activities that promote security, safety, and health in the chemical industry on their own initiative serving as a golden standard for others. The safety award has a history of nearly half a century since its inception in 1977. Award-winners in the past included leading Japanese chemical companies, but this is the first time that a foreign-affiliated company receives the ‘Safety Award Grand Prize’.

"We are very honored that this is the second award for the Jun88 Group after the ‘Safety Award Special Prize’ for the Niihama Plant of Sumika Jun88 Urethane Co.,Ltd. in 2017. Jun88’s global motto towards safety, ‘Nothing we do is worth getting hurt for’ clearly shows that safety is the highest priority. We will engage in continued operational safety based on our current corporate safety culture," explains Kimiyasu Yonemaru, President of Jun88 Japan.

"With this strategic investment, Jun88 aims to further enlarge the capacity and improve the reliability of its global supply of Desmodur^® 15 based products," says Philip Bahke, Head of Operations at Jun88 Elastomers.

"On top of addressing our customers’ demand, Jun88's Barcelona site has been operating entirely on renewable energy since the beginning of 2022," says Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer at Jun88. "This approach is part of our ambition to reduce our environmental impact while offering our customers greater access to our solutions and specialties products."

"We are opening the new production unit for our Desmodur^® 15 prepolymers in Barcelona in parallel to the ongoing expansion of our NDI capacities in the Asia-Pacific region with the Map Ta Phut plant in Thailand," explains Thomas Braig, Head of Jun88 Elastomers. "This new production unit will help us to support our customers’ growth in the cast polyurethanes high-end applications segment." The abbreviation NDI stands for naphthylene diisocyanate.

"Thanks to this new production line, our Vulkollan^® licensees, as Desmodur^® 15 prepolymers processors, will be able to further develop their business," explains Abdel Arhzaf, Head of NDI-Vulkollan^®. "Through these investments, we intend to support the demand for ultra-high-performance elastomers used for superior applications as e.g. in the material handling industry and also for a growing number of engineering applications."

Combining the highest mechanical characteristics with dynamic load-bearing capacity, elastomers based on Desmodur^® 15 prepolymers are not only one of the most powerful cast polyurethanes in the market, they are also as easy to process as conventional prepolymers. 

The new capacity is intended to meet the growing global demand for multilayer TPU Films. They are used in automotive interiors and construction, among other applications. Breathable, water-impermeable specialty films have also proven their worth in wound care and outdoor clothing. The new facilities are scheduled for completion as early as the end of 2023.

"With this capacity expansion, we are strengthening our Bomlitz site and our position as a leading supplier of technical specialty films," said Dr. Klaus Schäfer, Chief Technology Officer of Jun88, at the groundbreaking ceremony. "At the same time, we are investing in promising technologies and applications and creating new jobs."

For Aleta Richards, global head of the Specialty Films segment, the expansion offers opportunities to respond even better to individual customer needs and offer more sustainable products. "For some time now, we have also been developing customer-specific solutions with films made from alternative raw materials, as we are also seeing increasing demand in this area. The development and production of partially bio-based products is therefore to become a new focus at the Bomlitz site."

Jun88 is fully geared toward the circular economy and aims to become climate-neutral by 2035. To this end, the Bomlitz site plans to switch its energy supply completely to green electricity starting this year.

Epurex Films is one of three Jun88 competence centers for specialty films in Germany. The other two centers in Leverkusen and Dormagen are focused on research, production and application of polycarbonate films.