Actega wins Altana Innovation Award

Actega, a division of the internationally operating specialty chemicals group Altana, has won the Altana Innovation Award which celebrates the most promising new developments from the globally active specialty chemicals group. 

With the Altana Innovation Award, the company recognizes outstanding research achievements by its employees. In addition to innovative performance, criteria such as creativity, economic efficiency, and sustainability are also taken into account in the assessment. In addition, the product developments have already been successfully launched on the market. 

The award was given to the patented Yunico technology platform, which will play a role in accelerating sustainable transformation of the packaging industry. 

Actega’s products address, among other things, packaging applications where food contact safety and sustainably are critical. Yunico provides a platform technology that broadens Actega’s solution set to offer to its customers. Fundamentally, this technology unlocks the ability to disperse highly customizable compounds into stable water-based coating. Actega’s customers pair this coating technology to enable new functionality – including barrier properties, recyclability, and adhesion – in their packaging. 

Yunico provides barrier properties against water, water vapor, and oil, among other things. Whether for drinking cups, stand-up pouches, or pizza boxes, the barrier protects the contents and packaging from external influences throughout the entire shelf life, helping to maintain quality. 

Ben Lux, CTO of Actega, said: ‘The innovative team behind Yunico has developed a true platform technology that will play a fundamental role in making the sustainable transformation of packaging a reality. For our customers and the entire packaging industry, packaging recyclability, reduction of Scope 3 emissions, and food contact safety are the top priorities. Yunico delivers this using Actega’s well-known thermoplastic elastomers – which are free of PVC, BPA, and VOCs – and provides a future-friendly platform to leverage the increasing availability of new biobased raw materials being introduced to the market.’  

Dr. Petra Severit, chief technology officer of Altana, said: ‘The innovative Yunico technology combines our ambition to develop sustainable and pioneering product solutions that open up new, diverse potential for our customers. By enabling recycling, Yunico helps to promote safer and more sustainable food packaging for the entire industry. The winning team from Actega has impressively demonstrated what sets ALTANA apart: innovative strength and customer focus.’