Bayer: Science For A Better Life - research

Editorial

The fascination of research

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Werner Wenning, Chairman of the Board of Management of Bayer AG

The success and fascination of Bayer are based in large part on our innovative products. As an inventor company, we can point to numerous discoveries and new developments. Our research and development budget is among the largest in the industry, and we are proud that the results of our activities are of great value to humankind. Our products contribute substantially to improving the quality of life – by promoting the health of people and animals, helping to safeguard the quality and supply of food, making cars safer or contributing to climate protection. And our scientists are working hard to ensure that our products continue to save lives, improve living conditions and remain indispensable to many people – in keeping with our mission statement “Bayer: Science For A Better Life”.

This philosophy is emphatically brought to life through our oncology research, for example, which is vividly illustrated by the title story of this edition of research. Nexavar is already registered in more than 50 countries for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma and could become the standard therapy for patients suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma. Bayer HealthCare is thus on track to become a driving force in the field of cancer research. Numerous activities of our company are directed at a theme that is currently affecting people worldwide: climate change. For this reason, we have launched a comprehensive climate program that brings together the diverse competencies of our subgroups and service companies. The goal is to apply our innovative capability for the development of new products and solutions in the area of climate protection. One example in this connection is the efforts of Bayer CropScience to optimize the photosynthesis of plants to help them make better use of energy sources. This in turn could enable crops to be grown in unfavorable conditions and produce higher yields in the future. Bayer MaterialScience too is active in the field of climate protection – for instance, with its high-tech products that serve as insulating materials for housing and refrigerators or with lightweight materials for automotive construction.

Another innovation of this subgroup comes to the fore in the area of modern living. Our researchers have succeeded in developing an ultra-pure Makrolon grade that enables the manufacture of flat-screen televisions in previously unheard-of dimensions.

It goes without saying that the development of all these innovations requires the protection of intellectual property. Bayer Technology Services can play a key role in this context. A novel technology developed by Bayer Technology Services is capable of exposing counterfeits within just seconds, thus helping to protect people worldwide from such pirate products.

These examples and other articles in this issue of research show how Bayer’s scientists work with a goal-oriented approach toward solving tomorrow’s challenges – on behalf of humankind and on behalf of our company.