Marl, Germany. Flemish Minister-President Matthias Diependaele visited the Marl Chemical Park together with a high-ranking industrial delegation consisting of business leaders, representatives of various industry organizations, and Flemish scientific institutions. At Evonik's largest production site worldwide, the focus was on exchanging ideas about innovation and sustainability. Safe and clean energy supply, the future of infrastructure, and targeted training were also on the agenda. The aim of the meeting was to further deepen cooperation between Flanders and North Rhine-Westphalia in these areas. Discussions were held with Thomas Wessel, member of the Executive Board and Labor Director at Evonik, Andreas Orwat and Daniel Brünink, managing directors of Evonik's infrastructure unit SYNEQT, as well as other Evonik representatives.
At the Marl Chemical Park, guests visited the “Rheticus” plant. This plant demonstrates how Evonik can use carbon dioxide (CO₂) as a raw material for industry in a climate-friendly way. Using artificial photosynthesis, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy are used to produce valuable chemicals from CO₂ and water via electrolysis and biochemical processes.
Thomas Wessel, member of the Executive Board and Chief Human Resources Officer at Evonik, emphasized: “We can only shape the future together. Meetings like this are therefore particularly valuable. Our cooperation—for example, between Marl and Antwerp—stands for active industrial collaboration. Together, we are tackling the major challenges of our time: safe and clean energy, modern infrastructure, and training the skilled workers of tomorrow. In doing so, we are laying the foundation for sustainable growth and technological innovation in Europe."
Today, there are already many connections between the Marl Chemical Park and the economic region of Flanders. For example, Evonik operates its largest international site outside Germany in Antwerp. The two locations in Germany and Belgium are continuously connected via pipelines and a production network. The port of Antwerp plays a central role in strengthening these activities. It is the logistics hub for raw materials and products and will be further strengthened in the future by the expansion of a cross-border hydrogen network and a CO₂ transport network.
Matthias Diependaele, Minister-President of Flanders, said: “The port of Antwerp is not only one of our biggest economic drivers, but it is also a catalyst for prosperity in regions across the border, such as North Rhine-Westphalia. By connecting our industrial strengths and infrastructures, we are creating a robust basis for sustainable growth, technological innovation, and a stronger position for Europe.”
Yves Verschueren, managing director of the Belgian chemical federation essenscia, added: “The Belgian and German industries face similar challenges. For a successful transformation of our sectors, we need affordable energy, less bureaucracy, and stable supply chains. Many decisions are taken at European level in Brussels. This makes it all the more important for industry to have a strong, united voice.”
At the end of the trip, the delegation proceeded to the North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament, where they met with the president of the parliament, André Küper, other NRW politicians, and business leaders from the region.
