— By Dede Williams — 

German chemicals and plastics producer Evonik (Essen; www.evonik.com) is partnering with Schneider Electric (Rueil-Malmaison, France; www.se.com) to automate a thermoplastic processing facility at the Essen production site of Evonik’s Goldschmidt arm.

As a first joint project in the partnership, announced at the K 2025 plastics and rubber exhibition in Düsseldorf, Germany, the two firms said they have agreed to work together to digitise an existing Goldschmidt pilot plant and equip it with an open automation approach enabling the collection and contextualisation of data from various machines into a central access point. This data-driven strategy is said to be aimed at analysing performance, reducing or eliminating manual labour, and streamlining separate calculation steps.

As advantages of the collaboration, Evonik said the chemical producer will be able to contribute its expertise in high-performance additives and a focus on circularity, with Schneider Electric adding solutions in process automation and digitalisation.

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Long-term objectives of the partnership are to include leveraging laboratory experiences, improving the positioning of existing solutions supported by quantified data, decreasing time to market for new additive developments, and enhancing scalability from pilot plants to commercial units.

For Schneider Electric, Jessica Bethune, VP industrial automation DACH countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), noted that digitalisation “is essential for advancing circularity”. The collaboration with Evonik, she said, “demonstrates how automation can enhance recycling efficiency and quality, showcasing the power of teamwork in building a sustainable future”. 

Patrick Glöckner, head of Evonik’s recently launched Next Markets programme, added that the partnership highlights how digitalisation and chemistry enable circularity in plastics. Combining Schneider Electric’s new process automation with his company’s innovative additives “takes thermoplastic processing to the next level”.

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Both companies stress that the scope of the cooperation extends beyond plastics recycling and encompasses overall processing of plastics with a strong emphasis on circularity.

By 2030, Evonik is targeting an additional EUR 1 bn in annual revenue through circular products and technologies, making the sector a “powerful growth driver” for the company. Its strategy includes increasing activities with additives and specialities for the circular economy while enhancing the use of fossilised raw materials derived from recycled content, biomass, and CO₂.