Chemicals industry
The chemicals industry is one of the most research-intensive sectors of the German economy. In Berlin you'll find an innovation-friendly climate.
From green chemistry to biopolymers to innovative composite materials for lightweight construction, the chemical industry is a strong pillar of industrial production in the capital city. The main products made in Berlin, are specialty plastics, consumer chemicals, paints and coatings. The development of plastic-based filaments for additive manufacturing is also becoming increasingly important. As a supplier of numerous starting products, the industry works closely with other branches of industry such as medicine, energy, information and communication technology, and optics.
Why Berlin?
„Berlin is known for its lively startup scene. The city offers an ideal environment for young e-commerce companies as well as successful high-tech startups like DexLeChem. The proximity to top scientific expertise in chemistry, an outstanding infrastructure and opportunities to interact directly with other company founders as well as with creative minds in politics and at well-established companies are what make Berlin such an ideal location.“
Numerous small and medium-sized companies with high innovation potential are shaping the landscape of Berlin's chemical industry.
Economy and science
The chemical industry offers high growth and employment potential. The close proximity to Berlin's universities also meets the constantly growing demand for qualified junior staff in the chemical sector.
The Chemical Invention Factory (CIF) at TU Berlin makes it possible to transform the results of research into highly innovative start-ups in the fields of green chemistry, materials science, and nanotechnology with success. The CIF acts as a sustainable structural measure of the UniSysCat (Unifying Systems in Catalysis) excellence cluster approved as part of the joint excellence strategy of the states and the federal government. This is where chemists, physicists, biologists and engineers from four universities in Berlin and Potsdam, two Max Planck Institutes, the Helmholtz Center Berlin, the Leibniz Research Institute FMP, and the Charité come together to collaborate across disciplines and institutions.
Selection of scientific institutions
- Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing
(Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und Prüfung - BAM) - Technische Universität Berlin, Institute of Chemistry
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research
(Fraunhofer-Institut für Angewandte Polymerforschung - IAP) - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Chemistry
- Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin (HTW), University of Applied Sciences
- Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT), Fachbereich II
- Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society
- Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB)
Selection of networks, initiatives and associations
BVP: Berlin-Brandenburg Association for Polymer Research
Association of organisations from various university and non-university research institutions as well as companies active in polymers research.
KuVBB: Network for Plastics, Chemistry, and Biopolymers
KuVBB supports R&D and business in the production, processing, and application of synthetic and bio-based plastics in the states of Brandenburg and Berlin. It promotes the mutual transfer of knowledge and makes sure that the industry presents itself attractively to outsiders.
Plastics and Chemistry Cluster of the State of Brandenburg
The cluster networks companies and research institutes in the plastics and rubber-processing industry as well as the chemical industry in the State of Brandenburg.
European Bioplastics e.V.
The association "European Bioplastics" was founded in 2006 to represent the interests of European industrial manufacturers, processors and users of bioplastics, biodegradable materials and products made from them.
Northeast Germany Chapter of the Chemical Industry Association
The association represents the economic and socio-political interests of the chemical industry vis-à-vis government agencies, organizations, labor unions and opinion-makers. It provides consultation on all matters that affect the chemical industry in Eastern German.
Bildungswerk Nordostchemie e.V. (training, further education)
The vocational training center chemistry (bbz Chemie) is the training and further education center operated by Bildungswerk Nordostchemie e.V. for the chemical, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology industries in Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia.
AKB - Arbeitgeber- und Wirtschaftsverband der Kunststoff Verarbeitenden Industrie in Berlin und Brandenburg e.V.
AKB represents around 100 companies in the plastics industry in Berlin and Brandenburg. The AKB is a member of UVB, the regional umbrella association for business associations.
IGBCE Mining, Chemical, Energy Industrial Union, Berlin-Mark Brandenburg District
The Berlin-Mark Brandenburg district is the largest district in IGBCE covering members working in a territory of 48,000 km². It includes the states of Berlin, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and all of Brandenburg except Lusatia in the south. Its work primarily focuses on the chemicals, energy, water, plastics, and glass industries, as well as workers involved in the production of gypsum, paper, ceramics, rubber, and leather.
INAM - The Innovation Network for Advanced Materials
INAM is a non-profit association that acts as a network and connects start-ups, SMEs, companies, research institutes and investors with a passion for advanced materials. There are currently over 70 active members, and the number is increasing.
Selection of company builders, incubators, accelerators, and labs
Chemical Invention Factory
Enabling the successful transformation of research results into highly innovative spin-off companies in the field of green chemistry, materials science, or nanotechnology is the central goal of the Chemical Invention Factory (CIF) at the John Warner Center for Start-Ups in Green Chemistry established in 2018 as an independent incubator at Technical University (TU) Berlin.
FUBIC - Business and Innovation Center next to Freie Universität Berlin Campus
The FUBIC is currently being built on the site directly adjacent to the Free University of Berlin (FUB). The future innovation campus will be home to technology-oriented start-ups and young companies from the fields of life science, healthcare and IT.
