Andreas Fischer has been named Evonik's new chief innovation officer, effective July 1st. He is taking over the position from Ulrich Küsthardt, who has held the role since 2015 and is now taking early retirement.
Fischer holds a degree in industrial engineering. His career started at a world-leading producer of industrial cleaning agents and hygiene products. He then held a number of positions at Evonik's predecessor companies, initially in sales and subsequently as head of various business entities. He became head of the Silica business line in 2012 and became a member of the board of management of Evonik Resource Efficiency GmbH in 2019.
Fischer aims to further strengthen the link between innovative capability and customer focus. In a statement announcing the appointment, he said: “We want to be leading in innovation. To achieve that, we are bundling our competencies, and bringing together our scientific expertise and our proximity to our markets and customers so we can come up with solutions and applications faster.”
To that end, he will build on the strategy of his predecessor, Ulrich Küsthardt, who identified six innovation growth fields at which the company directed its focus. By 2025, Evonik plans to generate additional sales of over €1 billion with products and solutions in the fields of Sustainable Nutrition, Healthcare Solutions, Advanced Food Ingredients, Membranes, Cosmetic Solutions, and Additive Manufacturing.
Fischer will also drive forward and strengthen the role of Creavis, Evonik's strategic innovation unit.
“Creavis should become Evonik’s business incubator. Working in close cooperation with our operating units, through Creavis, we want to gain access to new markets,” he said.