- ALTANA and BYK support the educational project "Stiftung Kinder forschen" in Wesel
- Around 150 school and kindergarten children experiment with flying and rolling
- Creative experiments awaken the curiosity and a spirit of discovery
Wesel, April 10, 2025 – Sketching, building, trying things out – and testing their own development: In small groups, children from the Konrad Duden Community Elementary School (GGS) and the German Red Cross Kita Abenteuerland daycare center developed ideas, discarded them, and kept refining them. Their goal: to invent an object that stays in the air for as long as possible and to create something that keeps a marble moving for the longest possible time.
To find solutions to these challenges, the children investigated questions such as the conditions that enable aircraft to stay aloft and the physical phenomena behind them. Along with exploring scientific principles, the young researchers also learned the value of teamwork – good ideas can only be developed and implemented together.
Around 150 young researchers proudly presented their solutions to parents and other interested guests at ALTANA's conference center in Wesel. The specialty chemicals company supports the Research Week as part of the "Stiftung Kinder forschen" (Children’s Research Foundation) project, which promotes early scientific education for children.
Sparking interest in STEM subjects
For one week, the school and daycare children participated as researchers in the "Stiftung Kinder forschen" educational project in Wesel. Guides from the elementary school, the daycare center, BYK – a division of ALTANA AG –, and many parents helped the children gain their first learning experiences in mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and technology (STEM subjects).
"First and second grade schoolchildren and kindergarten children are the researchers of tomorrow. It is therefore extremely important to spark their enthusiasm for natural phenomena and technical challenges at an early age. The Research Days are impressive proof of how to build understanding and knowledge in science," said Dr. Jörg Hinnerwisch, Head of the BYK division. "The foundation for this successful educational project remains the trusting cooperation with our partners – German Red Cross Kita Abenteuerland and GGS Konrad Duden. Many thanks to all contributors."
“It takes courage, creativity, and team spirit to develop solutions”
GGS Konrad Duden, German Red Cross Kita Abenteuerland, and BYK in Wesel have been successfully collaborating on this early education project since 2011. They are network partners of the Berlin-based "Stiftung Kinder forschen" project. The foundation aims to arouse interest in scientific contexts among kindergarten and primary school children and to create opportunities for them to engage with mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and technology in everyday life. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research has funded the initiative for early education in Germany since 2008.
“Researchers need courage, creativity, and team spirit to develop solutions together. The elementary school and daycare children in Wesel showed impressively how important these qualities are during Research Week," said Alfred Dallarosa, Head of Training and Education Coating Additives at BYK.
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About ALTANA:
ALTANA is a global leader in true specialty chemicals. The Group offers innovative, environmentally compatible solutions for coating manufacturers, paint and plastics processors, the printing and packaging industries, the cosmetics sector and the electrical and electronics industry. The product range includes additives, special coatings and adhesives, effect pigments, sealants and compounds, impregnating resins and varnishes, and testing and measuring instruments. ALTANA's four divisions, BYK, ECKART, ELANTAS, and ACTEGA, all occupy a leading position in their target markets with respect to quality, product solution expertise, innovation, and service.
Headquartered in Wesel, Germany, the ALTANA Group has 66 production sites and 69 service and research laboratories worldwide. Throughout the Group more than 8,000 people work to ensure the worldwide success of ALTANA. In 2024, ALTANA achieved sales of over 3 billion euros. Around 7 percent of sales are invested in research and development every year. Its high earning power and high growth rate make ALTANA one of the most innovative, fastest growing, and profitable chemical companies in the world.
About BYK:
BYK is a leading global supplier of specialty chemicals. The company's innovative additives and differentiated solutions optimize product and material properties as well as production and application processes. Amongst other things. BYK additives improve scratch resistance and surface gloss, the mechanical strength or flow behavior of materials, and properties such as UV-and light stability or flame retardancy. In the field of quality assurance. BYK's measuring and testing instruments service to effectively assess appearance and physical properties.
The company's customers include manufacturers of coatings and printing inks, plastics, adhesives and sealants. As well as cleaners, floor coatings, and lubricants. BYK additives are also successfully used in the construction chemistry, oil and gas, and foundry industries. BYK has a global network of subsidiaries and operates production sites in Germany (Wesel, Kempen, Moosburg, Schkopau, Geretsreid), the Netherlands (Deventer, Dnekamp, Nijverdal), and the UK (Widnes), in the USA (Wallingford, Chester, Columbia, Earth City, Gonzales, Louisville, Pittsford), and in China (Shanghai, Tongling). The company is part of the ALTANA Group and employs a workforce of more than 2,500 people worldwide.