Clariant focuses on innovation for top spot in crop protection auxiliaries

Clariant, a leading global supplier of specialty chemicals, is putting the focus firmly on products and innovation to enhance its package of support for the crop protection industry. With the promise to bring “a new perspective on science and service”, the producer of high quality adjuvants and other auxiliaries for crop protection formulations is making significant investments to help customers improve efficiency, reduce time to market and increase their competitiveness.

In addition to placing innovation at the heart of its business, Clariant will strengthen its operational team and service offering. Product profiling and regulatory guidance, tailored to regional requirements, will be among the enhanced support customers can look forward to. The Competence Center Crop Protection based in Frankfurt will play an important role in supporting the regional teams.

"Our aim is to be a leading solution provider and a preferred innovation partner to the crop protection industry by bringing a new perspective on science and service to the market. We will offer a broad product portfolio including new innovative chemistry based on renewable resources combined with value adding service, to provide our customers with that all-important competitive advantage,” says Peter Baur, the new Head of the Competence Center Crop Protection.

"Clariant already offers well performing „green‟ products including adjuvants, solvents and dispersing agents, and we are looking to expand this aspect of our portfolio”, Baur adds.

"We will build up a unique portfolio of guide formulations and profiling services geared to enhancing the efficiency of our customers‟ products, reduce their water and energy consumption, and help them comply with regulatory requirements in their markets,” continues Baur. “We already have production facilities around the world, we are strengthening our global team of experts, and we are aiming to be seen as the Number One provider in our sector well before the end of the decade.”

Clariant is in the process of bringing in new experts to the team and adding a considerable amount of new laboratory equipment. It aims to have the additional service offerings in place by mid-2012.

"We regard expanded formulation support as being very important,” says Baur. “Active ingredients from the last decades often have properties that challenge the formulator to develop a stable formulation without freezing activity. It`s all about balancing robust activity and stability with user-friendliness of the product. And of course this area is highly regulated and covered by a complex web of patents that our smaller customers in particular find it difficult to keep track of. Our market intelligence is critical to them.”

Research and development will receive a further important boost next year when Clariant opens its new Innovation Center in Frankfurt, Germany. Synergies with other business units within the Clariant group will also be increased.

The world‟s leading producers of finished crop protection formulations, as well as many smaller suppliers, including manufacturers of generic agrochemicals, are among the customers of Clariant Crop Protection.