Saxony-Anhalt is also at the forefront of training and research. Two universities, eight universities of applied science and twelve research institutes. Concrete strategies for the training of the next generation are already in place. For example, the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, together with companies in the field of solar energy, is offering a dual degree programme in solar technology, incorporating practical experience. Q-Cells SE is also involved in securing specialists for the future in the region and is funding an endowed chair for photovoltaics at the Martin Luther University in Halle-Wittenberg. The Fraunhofer Centre for Silicon Photovoltaics (CSP), the internationally renowned crystallisation and material centre for the analysis of the photovoltaic material, silicon, is studying for example, in Germany's biggest climatic chambers, the material properties of PV modules and solar collectors and in the module technology centre of the Fraunhofer Centre for Silicon Photovoltaics, lamination processes are being researched.

After their successful presence last year, Saxony-Anhalt will be represented for a 3rd time on a joint stand with other exhibitors and for the first time with the cluster SOLAR VALLEY Mitteldeutschland e.V. at the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference (6th - 9th September 2010) which will be taking place in Valencia this year.

The other exhibitors on the stand organised by the Investment and Marketing Corporation of Saxony-Anhalt at the trade fair are:

• Solar Valley Mitteldeutschland e.V.
• Fraunhofer Centre for Silicon Photovoltaics (CSP)
• iCON GmbH
• Sinusstrom GmbH
• SSF solar screen factory GmbH
• the town of Sandersdorf-Brehna
• Vetro Solar GmbH
• Wirtschaftsförderung Halle (Saale) (Economic Promotion Halle (Saale))

Individual exhibitors from Saxony-Anhalt will also be exhibiting at the trade fair: boraident GmbH, CALYXO GmbH, f | solar GmbH, INNOTECH SOLAR ITS, Sovello AG, Q-Cells SE.

Visit Saxony-Anhalt at the EU PVSEC in Valencia, Level 2, Hall 1, Booth A 10

Contact

Investment and Marketing Corporation of Saxony-Anhalt

Ines Massih-Richter

Am Alten Theater 6

39104 Magdeburg

Tel.: +49 (0)391 567086

Email: ines.massih-richter@img-sachsen-anhalt.de

In the face of the approaching 20th anniversary of German reunification, this news provides us with the courage to overcome the challenges ahead of us. Haseloff comments, "Although the economic policy of the last 20 years was extremely successful, we have still not achieved our goal. The process of harmonising East and West is still far from over, as the Western German and particularly Southern German federal states have developed extremely well in the past 20 years. However, it must be stated, that Saxony-Anhalt, when judged with respect to economic parameters, social standards, the newly developed or improved infrastructure and the achievements in cleaning up environmental contamination, is clearly in a better position than it was 15 or 20 years ago."

Source: Federal Employment Agency

“Actually, we discovered it by accident” says Susanne Jenke, Project Manager, who is currently responsible for the commercial launch of Deurex® Pure both in Germany and Europe. “With the attempt to produce a new, micronised wax for our customers in the paint and colour sector, we suddenly had this wad-like white substance in our hands and realised that this substance absorbed oil excellently.” Actually, this substance was discovered at DEUREX Pure GmbH in Elsteraue, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, already at the beginning of this year (patent pending) – long before the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico took place. “In the beginning, we thought of using the product with fire fighting units, petrol station operators, river maintenance departments and port operators. Simply everywhere, where oil may have contact with water and might harm the environment”, says Susanne Jenke. At this time, nobody thought of the oil layer in the Atlantic Ocean. However, “Magic Wad”, as Deurex® Pure is dubbed by our employees, may actually be the decisive answer to this problem. DEKRA, an independent test institute, attests that DEUREX® Pure has an extraordinary high fraction of binding agents. One hundred kilogrammes Deurex® Pure are capable of binding more than 600 litres of oil. However, to be able to really be of help in the Gulf of Mexico, it would be most effective to build a production site in the US in order to avoid expensive transports of DEUREX® Pure. “Because fighting the oil layer would take extensive quantities and, to do that, we would need a partner that also contributes financially”, says Torsten Rödiger, Marketer.

DEUREX® Pure may also be used with pollutions caused by diesel, solvents such as toluol or tensides and alcohol. And: The wad – wrapped into net-like bags or hoses – does not sink even if completely soaked and may be fished out of the water at all times. Additionally, it is possible to use the product under rough sea conditions and, even in under such circumstances, it does not leave any residues in the water. Currently, the discoverers even think about reusing this wad, which would be another advantage in terms of customer service/care.

Based on this extensive demand of today, the production of Pure as a second main pillar of DEUREX seems realistic. Because: at our premises in the Elsteraue industrial park we receive requests for this “Magic Wad” on a daily basis. “I just received a mail from China”, explains Torsten Rödiger. “A business man who was desperate to find solutions to fight disasters in his home country.”

In Dalian, a seaport town, fishermen have siphoned off thousands of litres of oil from the surface of the sea. According to estimates of Greenpeace, more than 60,000 tons of crude oil had polluted the sea.

In addition to 6,000 tons of micronised waxes produced in Elsteraue for industrial applications every year, the 60 employees located here could even produce Deurex® Pure “Magic Wax” in the near future. Because danger is at hand, alleged 780,000.000 litres of oil float in the Gulf of Mexico alone. “Pure does not leave any residues in the water, i.e. there is not solution which is more environmentally friendly“, says Susanne Jenke, Project Manager.

For more than ten years, DEUREX has been located in the Zeitz Chemical and Industrial Park in Elsteraue, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. This site situated at the three-state-triangle of Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony provides ideal conditions for industrial locations. Be it via rail, motorway or air way – Leipzig Airport is only 40 kilometres away – all transport opportunities are available. Hardly surprising that more than 50% of those areas which are already completely developed, i.e. 232 hectares, are already taken. Here you can find a wide range of business segments that reach from adipic acid products, production of high-grade base oils in a waste oil refinery and generation of adhesives for various applications through to the production of special waxes for the paper and cosmetics sector.

Up to the present day, a total of 87 million Euros have been invested into a new infrastructure which even complies with international standards. Environmentally friendly technologies, network and pipeline connections, which may modularly be enhanced if required by the investors, guarantee that companies are always adequately supplied. At the moment, there are still 75 hectares available.

Author: Dagmar Perschke

Contact:

Deurex Pure GmbH

Dr.-Bergius-Straße 18-24

D-06729 Elsteraue OT Alttröglitz

Contact person:

Susanne Jenke

+49 (0) 3441/ 8291044

jenke@DeurexPure.com

www.DEUREXPure.com

Infra-Zeitz Servicegesellschaft

Hauptstraße 30

D-06729 Elsteraue OT Alttröglitz

*+49 (0) 3441/ 84 21 14

infra@industriepark-zeitz.de

www.industriepark-zeitz.de

Schröter underlines the stability and reliability of this service by citing that the container line service, which travels up and down this stretch of river twice weekly has not been cancelled once in the last three years. He believes that the growth in volume is thanks to the number of new clients who could be won over, who are using inland shipping increasingly often to transport goods inland from Hamburg.

Between 1993 and 2009, 15 million Euros were invested in the port in order to develop the terminals for heavy goods, container and bulk transport according to the requirements of the shipment industry in the Central German area. The location has proven to be a particular strength of the port at Aken. It is situated at the junction of the road, rail and waterway network. Schröter identifies the increasing concentration of the port (which was constructed in 1889) on heavy goods and on project shipment as a logical consequence. The business was given particular impetus amongst larger clients in 2006 when the lifting power of the stationary port crane was increased from 150 to 270 metric tons. This meant that the capacity of the port was not only increased to an even higher level, Schröter guarantees that there is no stronger stationary crane along the whole of the Elbe. The clients appreciate this fact, as a stationary crane is significantly more cost effective than a mobile crane. Companies from Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, especially mechanical engineering and plant construction companies, manufacturers of chemical plants, automotive suppliers and producers of energy and environmental technologies transport their large units along road and rail to the cheaper waterways. Many units are so large that it would be impossible to navigate long distances overland. Approximately 20 mostly large export-oriented companies make up the regular customer base in the area of heavy goods and project shipment, a further 30 are active in the field of bulk cargo and container shipment.

In the port, special areas have been created, in which large parts can be assembled, finished and packed for shipment by sea before they continue their journey to the North Sea ports in Hamburg, Bremen or Antwerp. From there, the journey continues over the sea to South America or ever more frequently to China. Last year 150 inland ships transported heavy goods and project shipments from Aken to all the North Sea ports. Schröter, who has been managing director of the municipal company since 1992, emphasises that the port's revenue in this area has therefore tripled since the millennium.

This development has also meant, however, that space in the port is very tight. For this reason the area to the east of the port is currently being developed in order to improve conditions for heavy goods and container logistics. The building work began in June. In the industrial estate Aken-Ost (East Aken) which is directly connected to the port by the road and rail network, some sites are still available as locations for manufacturers of machinery and industrial plants that rely on transport along the Elbe. This is a convincing example of how industry goes to areas where there is water. The manager of the port sees much potential in the trend towards water transport. The proportion of transport inland by ship from the port in Hamburg was only 0.5% 5 years ago. Now it is 1.5%. It is expected that this proportion will rise to 5%. This would mean 500,000 container units, as Schröter calculates full of optimism. The growth in Aken port is likely to continue.

What sounds like a dream one moment, can actually become reality. The foundation of the research centre IKAM (Institut für Kompetenz in Automobilität (Institute for Competence in Automobility)) is a first in the cooperation between industry and research and is unique in Germany. "Two bodies are responsible for the institute. In our laboratories, in IGZ Barleben (Innovations- und Gründerzentrum (Innovation and Founder Centre) research can be carried out together with business in conditions close to industrial reality. "At our site in Magdeburg we will carry out necessary fundamental research together with the Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg. Through this collaboration, we can together continue to successfully build research skills in the field of automobiles. We already have the most modern drive train test benches for hybrid and electric vehicles which provide us with undreamt of opportunities for testing. No other sector will face such profound upheaval in the coming years as the automobile and supply industry, due to the introduction of new propulsion methods and concepts for vehicles."

Stefan Schünemann answers the question of why he, as a trained electrical engineer who was born in Halle, wants to set himself this great challenge in Saxony-Anhalt, although he could have reached for the stars (in the truest sense of the word) without hesitation, "after my degree in information technology at the Ilmenau University of Technology in Thuringia, I started working on a major scientific project for a mission to mars at the institute for planetary sensors of the German Aerospace Centre in Berlin. We were involved in producing a camera for mapping the surface of Mars "It was very exciting, just as many developments of space travel which we now take for granted in everyday life continue to fascinate me. For example take the cordless screwdriver or the crisps packet covered in foil", says Stefan Schünemann grinning."In 1995 I came to the Otto von Guericke University in Magdeburg as a research associate and completed my doctorate at the faculty for electrical engineering and information technology. The intensive cooperation with other disciplines at that time attracted me to Saxony-Anhalt. Today, there is also the interaction with business and industry, or in short the transfer of knowledge and technology."

As well as being happy in his personal life (his son Jerrit is now exactly two years four months old), doctor Stefan Schünemann found his working domain in Magdeburg. "/Taking cooperation between industry and science to new heights is a privilege for an engineer. I am up up for this challenge"

The companies in the supply region established the cluster MAHREG Automotive to represent their group interests and potential some time ago and have, step by step, developed several active networks. Since 2006 research into automobiles at the Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg has concentrated on the area of research, automotives, supported by 13 different institutes. Both successful initiatives have provided the basis for the new institute.

Author: Dagmar Perschke

Contact

IKAM GmbH

Managing Director: Dr. Stefan Schünemann

Tel.: 0049 (0) 39203 82221

info@ikam-md.de