EVONIK OXENO GMBH & CO KG

Their core work

Evonik Oxeno is the oxo chemicals arm of Evonik Industries, producing alcohols, plasticizers, and specialty chemicals through hydroformylation and related catalytic processes at their Marl (Germany) site — one of Europe's largest integrated chemical parks. In EU research, they bring deep industrial process expertise to projects that bridge lab-scale chemistry and commercial production, particularly around catalytic reactor design and chemical process intensification. Their H2020 participation spans both leading ambitious membrane-catalyst integration projects and contributing industrial application knowledge to sustainable chemistry networks. They are a rare combination of large-scale chemical manufacturer and active research partner, making them a credible bridge between academic innovation and industrial deployment.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their first H2020 project (MACBETH, from 2019) focused squarely on reactor and process engineering — catalytic membrane reactors, process intensification, downstream separation — reflecting the classic concerns of a large oxo chemicals manufacturer trying to squeeze efficiency from existing production paradigms. Their second project (CO2PERATE, from 2020) marks a clear pivot toward sustainable feedstocks: CO2 utilization, biomass reagents, and non-precious metal catalysts enter the picture alongside a broader "sustainable chemical industry" framing. The direction is unmistakable: from optimizing fossil-based chemistry to re-engineering the feedstock base itself.

Evonik Oxeno is moving from process optimization within conventional chemistry toward fundamental feedstock transformation — making them an increasingly relevant partner for green chemistry, carbon capture utilization, and bio-based chemical projects.

How they like to work

Evonik Oxeno takes on the coordinator role (leading MACBETH) as well as participating as an industrial partner (CO2PERATE), showing flexibility across both leadership and supporting positions. With 37 unique partners across 13 countries from just two projects, they operate in large, diverse consortia rather than tight bilateral arrangements — consistent with their role as an industrial anchor providing real-world process context that academic and SME partners need. This suggests working with them means access to a well-connected European network and a credible industrial validation pathway.

Evonik Oxeno has built connections with 37 unique partners across 13 countries from only two projects — an unusually broad network for such a small H2020 footprint, reflecting the large consortium structures typical of IA and MSCA-ITN funding schemes. Their partnerships span at minimum Western and Central Europe, consistent with their position as a major industrial actor in the EU chemical sector.

What sets them apart

Evonik Oxeno sits at an intersection few organizations can claim: a large industrial chemicals manufacturer that actively coordinates EU research projects, not merely lends its name to a consortium for market credibility. This means they bring real production infrastructure, genuine scale-up constraints, and commercial deployment realism that academic-led projects rarely access. For consortia needing to demonstrate industrial relevance or pathway to market for catalytic or sustainable chemistry innovations, Evonik Oxeno is a high-value anchor partner.

Highlights from their portfolio

• MACBETH
  Evonik Oxeno served as coordinator — rare for a large industrial company — on this 2019-2025 project targeting catalytic membrane reactor integration, which received the largest share of their H2020 funding (€475,987) and ran for six years.
• CO2PERATE
  This MSCA Industrial Training Network (2020-2024) shows Evonik Oxeno investing in the next generation of sustainable chemistry researchers, combining CO2 utilization, biomass feedstocks, and non-precious metal catalysis in a single research training program.