Sustainable Innovation
SIGNIFICANT INDIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACTS
GRI 103-1,2,3; 203-2
Throughout the world in October and November 2021, all eyes were on COP26 as global leaders collaborated and debated on effective policies for responding to the climate crisis. The resulting Glasgow Climate Pact calls for a 45% decrease in carbon emissions by 2030. Meeting that target is mandatory to limit global warming to 1.5°C (2.7°F) compared to 2010 levels as mandated by the Paris Climate Accords.
The conference in Glasgow and the disagreements on what needs to be done put a spotlight on how challenging it will be to reach these targets – and on how critically important it is that every public and private sector entity play an active role in taking the bold action necessary to get the job done.
It is not an easy task, nor one that can be accomplished overnight, despite the pressure to move as quickly as possible. But it is also a task at which each of us must persevere in the face of the difficulties and obstacles we will inevitably face.
At Oerlikon, sustainability is built into our strategy, which drives our operations and innovations to serve our customers’ needs. Our overarching goal is to empower our customers and their customers to increase their efficiency and productivity, optimize their usage of resources and reduce their energy and water consumption and waste.
With the world’s population projected to reach 10.9 billion by 2100 and the global middle class continuing to grow, the demand for energy, food, clothing and products contributing toward a better lifestyle are driving the growth in international trade, imports and exports to meet these needs. Demand for mobility has been dampened by the pandemic, but the need and desire to travel and be mobile will return.
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS
As a leading global technology company, we see our role in bridging the gap between the demands stemming from these global trends with our technological solutions. We must push the limits on the extent to which technology can be used to facilitate the demand for affordable and clean energy, ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns and implement industry innovation and infrastructure while combating climate change.
With a portfolio of equipment, components and services that encompasses surface engineering, advanced materials and fiber production, we engineer solutions that contribute to a more sustainable planet. Our work promotes greater efficiency in energy consumption, longer lives for equipment and tools, increased usage of recycled fibers and materials and reduction of waste and CO2 emissions.
Consider our high-end technology, WINGS – Winding Integrated Godet Solution – which achieves the world’s highest efficiency rate in the processing of pre-oriented and fully drawn yarns. During the yarn manufacturing process, WINGS reduces energy consumption by as much as 40% and generates minimal waste thanks to its high levels of production efficiency.
In aerospace, our customers need enhancements to performance, safety, fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions reductions. Among the innovations introduced by Oerlikon are high-tech abradable coatings that increase engine operation safety, reduce fuel consumption and so decrease CO2 emissions. Our portfolio of solutions also includes thermal barrier coatings in combustor and turbine components within the hot section of engines. These coatings protect the underlying materials against extreme conditions. The result: savings of up to 5 million liters of fuel daily thus, eliminating 11 600 tons of CO2 emissions.
Oerlikon’s mission is to continue to develop next-generation solutions to resolve our customers’ challenges. We achieve this by making continuous investments in R&D that lead to commercialization of groundbreaking products and services. For example, we are working on coating and material solutions for future mobility, with a focus on the battery- or fuel-cell-operated electronic vehicles that will help steer us toward a cleaner planet, and polymer recycling technologies and solutions to reduce waste.
Essentially, our research and engineering strategy that drives our innovation pipeline focuses on three priorities: customer needs, market potential and environmental concerns. In 2021, we invested around 4% of our revenue (CHF 105 million) in R&D and filed 90 new patents. We are in constant pursuit of new applications and enhancements to existing solutions, always with the target of delivering higher productivity, lower operating costs and greater results in sustainability performance – and often in collaboration with our customers and partners.
In this report, you can find many more examples and case studies of how our technological solutions are helping customers to achieve their sustainability goals – reducing their carbon footprints, enhancing the performance of their equipment and production systems, saving costs, reducing use of energy and resources and minimizing waste generation.
