Chemical Industry

Success through diversification

Along with international concerns like Dow Chemical, Niedersachsen's chemicals sector is mostly comprised of SMEs. Many companies are based at one of six main locations, Stade, Wilhelmshaven, Walsrode, Seelze, Lingen and Goslar, where services such as energy and logistics can be shared.

As manufacturer and supplier of inorganic and organic basic substances through pharmaceuticals, fragrances and aromas, paints and varnishes, cleaning and personal hygiene preparations, pesticides and crop protection substances to special coatings, plastics and a wide variety of other products, the chemicals industry is an important link in the value creation chain for many other industrial sectors. Only about 10% of chemicals produced are sold to end consumers; the largest customers are in plastics construction and the automobile, packaging and construction industries. The chemical sector is an important consumer of mineral oil products, electricity, gas, machinery and logistics services.

Networks combining strengths

In the north of the state, the Niedersachsen Ministry of Economic Affairs, Employment, Transport and Digitalisation has supported the work of the ChemCoast e.V. association since 2012. The central project is to set up a value creation chain around hydrogen production from wind power.

In southern Niedersachsen, the Chemienetzwerk Harz was founded in summer 2016 – a network to support local companies that are mainly concerned with making basic chemicals and special metals and metal compounds in developing new products, dealing with questions of energy efficiency and finding skilled workers. One central aim is to link scientific research and industrial practice through cooperative approaches and collaboration with Clausthal Technical University.