Social Commitment

Social Commitment

The natural sciences, mathematics, informatics, and technology are among the drivers of economic development and social progress around the world. Important solutions are also being developed in these disciplines with a view to the environment and climate change. In this context, ALTANA wants to help introduce young people to these disciplines at an early stage and kindle their enthusiasm for them. In addition, the ALTANA Group is involved in a number of selected social projects. In cooperation with experienced partners from the education sector, we support concrete projects, often in the immediate proximity of our sites. To maximize lasting impact, the company usually promotes these projects over a period of several years.

“All Children Have Potential”

ALTANA has been supporting the “All Children Have Potential” project at the largest community primary school (GGS Innenstadt) in Wesel for ten years now. The project was initiated by the city of Wesel and implemented by Akademie Klausenhof in close collaboration with GGS Innenstadt. Its main aim is to support disadvantaged children of primary school age and to achieve equal opportunities for children with a migration background and from socially deprived families. ALTANA finances the personnel and material costs of the social education specialist at Akademie Klausenhof. The social education worker arranges personal mentors for the children, qualifies them, and coordinates their activities. A total of 70 children have been supported since the project commenced in 2014, with 42 mentors volunteering so far. They support and challenge the girls and boys in their personal development based on their individual abilities. For those involved in the project, contact not only with the children but also with their parents is of great importance.

The social education worker regularly liaises with the volunteers, the school, and, in some cases, with family assistance and the youth welfare office to find pragmatic solutions together that help the children to master their everyday lives and provide them with the best possible support. Although many of the mentors help the children with their homework, the support focuses on extracurricular activities. The children are encouraged to take their own initiative and to make their own suggestions as to what they would like to do with their mentor. In the year under review, the project received the City of Wesel’s Volunteer Award as a special honor.

At the end of the year, ALTANA and BYK implemented a wish tree campaign for the third time at the Wesel site. The children made angels and wrote their wish on them. Together with their respective mentor, the children hung their angels on the large Christmas tree in the entrance hall of ALTANA’s headquarters. In the days that followed, ALTANA and BYK employees were informed about the Christmas tree campaign and called upon to participate by selecting a wish worth around 25 euros and by providing and wrapping the gift for the respective child. In a short time, all the angels were distributed and the Christmas joy of the children, whose parents are often unable to fulfill even small wishes for them, was assured.

Youth Startups Competition

In the reporting year, ALTANA once again supported the “Jugend gründet” (Youth Startups) competition sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education, offering a special prize for chemistry for the ninth time in a row. Five students from Geisenheim came out on top in the 2023 national finals with their innovative business idea “FlexProtexx,” a new type of knee and elbow protector for roller sports that offers optimum protection and simultaneously maximum flexibility and freedom of movement for skaters. This is made possible using a non-Newtonian material, which hardens immediately when it is subject to force, as in the case of a fall. When there is no force, however, the material behaves almost fluidly and is freely moldable. The “Jugend gründet” jury, featuring representation from ALTANA, was impressed by the entrepreneurial spirit, professionalism, and customercentric approach displayed by the student team. They successfully developed and presented an innovative special solution with a well defined business model, complete with potential business partners and customers ready to invest. As part of the award, the team enjoyed a trip to Wallingford on the east coast of the USA. During the summer of 2023, the winners had the opportunity to explore one of ALTANA Group’s major research and production sites at BYK USA, participating in a fascinating support program that included a visit to New York City.

Further Education for Teachers

Enthusiasm for STEM subjects starts with enthusiastic teachers. That’s why ALTANA has been supporting a nation-wide training course called “Schule MIT Wissenschaft” organized by the MIT Club of Germany since 2016, which is specifically aimed at science teachers. The objective is to get more young people interested in these economically important specializations and to recruit them as future skilled workers.

Under the motto “Begeisterer begeistern” (Enthuse Enthusiasts), the three-day conference, which took place as a hybrid event in Kiel in 2023, serves to promote an exchange of experiences among teachers as well as the communication of new scientific findings. For the first time, a regional conference for pupils was also held in Saarland. Without the support of sponsors such as ALTANA, this highprofile event with Nobel Prize winners and other scientists would not be possible.

Hidden Object Book in Wesel

In 2023, ALTANA, along with other Wesel-based companies, financed the publication of a hidden object book for children. The book, initiated by Lebenshilfe Unterer Niederrhein e.V., was developed with the participation of people with disabilities. Part of the proceeds from the sale of the book were donated to the Lebenshilfe organization, which provides people with and without disabilities, their families, and care providers with a wide range of work, information, and support services.

Support for Earthquake Victims in Turkey and Syria

In early February 2023, an earthquake struck the Turkish-Syrian border region, resulting in the destruction of entire streets and vital infrastructure. Tens of thousands of homes, schools, and healthcare facilities collapsed or were damaged. The catastrophe claimed the lives of almost 60,000 people, with well over 100,000 individuals, including many children, sustaining injuries. In response to this dire situation, ALTANA extended support to the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, with a contribution of 50,000 euros. This donation played a crucial role in facilitating swift access to clean drinking water and the immediate transportation of essential relief supplies to the affected region.

Social Commitment and Other Donations

Against the backdrop of persistent geopolitical conflicts and escalating natural disasters worldwide, leading to a surge in humanitarian emergencies, ALTANA donated 25,000 euros to the independent international organization Doctors Without Borders at the close of the reporting year. This organization operates wherever human lives are in peril, providing critical medical assistance irrespective of religion, nationality, or political affiliation.

In the 2023 reporting year, ACTEGA actively participated in numerous initiatives and projects near its global sites.
In North America, ACTEGA North America continued its support for the “Angel Tree” campaign of the Lincoln County Department of Social Services, benefiting needy children in the region. In Spain, ACTEGA Artística donated not only to the major national aid organizations Caritas and Aldeas Infantiles but also to the local food bank in Vigo and Bicos de Papel, an organization dedicated to caring for families of children battling cancer and enhancing overall care for pediatric oncological patients. Furthermore, support was extended to the Asociación Galega San Francisco, a Spanish organization promoting the integration of people with disabilities into the labor market. ACTEGA Rhenania in Germany played a vital role by financing a refrigerated vehicle for the Grevenbroich food bank and sponsoring a coloring book for early road safety education among schoolchildren. The local children’s book festival, supported by ACTEGA Rhenania, provided a platform for numerous children to immerse themselves in creative workshops and readings, fostering imagination and creativity. In Brazil, ACTEGA do Brasil helped organize the lead in organizing the local Christmas party for families and received recognition from the Araçariguama city council for its contribution to the city’s social fund.

Social commitment is also a top priority at ELANTAS in Italy. The Ascoli site received recognition from the local Red Cross for its financial support during the pandemic, providing essential items such as masks and disposable gowns. ELANTAS has maintained a longstanding commitment to the Lega del Filo D’Oro organization, extending regular donations over a remarkable period of 30 years. This organization is dedicated to caring for children with multiple handicaps. The enthusiasm of ELANTAS employees was evident as they participated in a football tournament with a focus on donations for integration through sports. In response to the devastating floods in July, ELANTAS at the Collecchio site swiftly contributed to the restoration of radio communications for civil defense. Additionally, the company directed its attention towards the well-being of young members of society with donations for radiotherapy to treat children, for the Save the Children Italia organization, and special play therapy for young patients. The Quattordio site of ELANTAS made a meaningful contribution by supporting the purchase of a vehicle designed for transporting people with disabilities to improve their mobility.

In the reporting year, ELANTAS Beck India channeled most of its donations to the Prime Minister National Relief Fund. This fund, under the patronage of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, finances emergency aid for families whose relatives have died in natural disasters, assists the victims of serious accidents and unrest, and partially covers the costs of medical treatment for people affected in emergency situations. ELANTAS Beck India also supported the education project of the Surajya Sarvangin Vikas Prakalp organization, in which 675 pupils from slums near Pune receive lessons. Through its school and extracurricular programs, the initiative encourages children’s desire to learn, provides guidance, and demonstrates to them the importance of education. With the help of the Maharshi Karve Shikshan Sanstha organization, ELANTAS Beck India is now in its fifth year of paying the school fees for 35 girls from socially disadvantaged families, thereby promoting their selfconfidence and independence.

ELANTAS PDG in St. Louis, USA, also provides sustainable and reliable support for local social projects. The employees were actively involved in the two longstanding aid projects, Back to School Supplies and Annual Holiday Drive. The Back to School Supplies initiative used the money raised to provide 25 primary school children at the nearby Nance Elementary School with school supplies such as exercise books and pencils. Colleagues also continued the long tradition of the Annual Holiday Drive in 2023, providing six needy families with food, clothing, and toys for the children at Christmas with monetary donations.

BYK USA also supports several social projects in the respective local communities. In Earth City, toys for children from needy families are collected for the Toys for Tots organization at Christmastime. In Louisville, BYK donated to the Metro Police Foundation to aid the distribution of meals and clothing to people in need. In Wallingford, the company takes part in an annual fundraising race for breast cancer research. In Gonzales, a donation enabled the construction of wheelchair ramps. At its Chester site, BYK supported a local arts center that offers community engagement programs. One project shared by all sites in the U.S. supported the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer (ALSF) initiative to combat childhood cancer. A team from BYK Widnes in the UK trained hard throughout the year and walked 130 kilometers along Dales Way over a three-day weekend as part of a sponsored run. Colleagues were then able to hand over £ 10,000 in donations to three local charities.