Creativity in chemistry 

Creativity in chemistry was the topic of the most recent Creavis Lounge, which was held as part of this year’s WissenschaftsForum in Berlin. What kind of culture is necessary in chemical companies and in society in general in order to enable innovation and the resultant growth? To answer this question, Evonik’s chief innovation officer Dr. Ulrich Küsthardt and the head of Creavis Prof. Dr. Stefan Buchholz, discussed with the leading scientists Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Markus Antonietti and Prof. Dr. Thisbe Lindhorst.

The goal of the dialog format: To think outside the box. Creavis regularly extends invitations to partners, creative lateral thinkers, scientists and innovation champions, in order to promote collaboration and dialog both within the company and with external partners and, as a result, to broaden its own perspective. This event did just that. One of the Lounge guests in Berlin was Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Markus Antonietti. Since 1993, he has been director for “colloid chemistry” at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces and professor at the University of Potsdam. Another guest was Prof. Dr. Thisbe Lindhorst. She is professor of organic and biological chemistry at the University of Kiel and is the current president of GDCh (German Chemical Society).

Various theses and theories relating to the topic of creativity led to diverse approaches which the experts discussed before an audience of approx. 150 guests. These theories included, for example, the assumption that “creative performances often occur at the interfaces between scientific domains.” Just one of many examples which also plays a key role in the context of Evonik’s corporate and innovation culture. The potential of interdisciplinary exchanges across organizational boundaries is demonstrated by the Creavis project houses again and again.