Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) guide what we do

Innovative and customized educational programs are a key driver for companies and employees at Industriepark Höchst. The Provadis Group, an education provider and Infraserv Höchst subsidiary, ensures access to high-quality education at the site on multiple tracks: Hesse’s largest training company with around 1,800 vocational trainees offers young people a successful start in more than 40 different skilled occupations. At the Provadis School, around 1,100 students are enrolled in practice-oriented cooperative and career-integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree programs that open up extensive opportunities for their individual career paths. Over 2,500 participants also take advantage of innovative continuing education programs with recognized certifications for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. All educational programs offer multiple horizontal and vertical pathways, enabling learners to pursue professional growth by whichever means suits them best.

Provadis has long supported young people in choosing a career and entering the vocational education system with a wide range of highly accessible career orientation projects. Collaboration with numerous general education schools in the region, workshop internships, various STEM programs and summer camps enable students to find their bearings early on and develop their personal educational roadmap. The educational service provider is also involved in career guidance programs run by the German federal government, the state of Hesse and the German Federal Employment Agency.

In addition, the company is involved in “Start plus” and other tried-and-tested integration programs run by the chemical industry’s trade unions and employers’ associations. It is developing its own equal-opportunity model projects that offer young people aged 18 to 24 new opportunities to start their careers.

Infraserv Höchst is committed to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals through its subsidiary’s activities in vocational, continuing and university education. Provadis also contributes to the improvement of the education system by networking in education policy associations, management/labor forums and research collaborations

Career guidance: BOOM summer camp

Sustainability is at the heart of many Provadis educational programs. Even before choosing a career, young people explored questions and practical projects on integrating sustainability principles in the skilled trades and tried things out for themselves in events such as the BOOM summer camps on career guidance and green jobs.

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Trainees and training staff become sustainability professionals

For companies to operate sustainably, their employees have to be exposed to sustainability early on. Vocational training that addresses sustainable development empowers employees to take action at work and deepens their understanding of their company’s sustainability strategy. This goal is also pursued in ANLIN, a project on sustainability training in the industrial sector. [Photo: © Thomas Koehler/ photothek.net]

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ZIN: Researching and teaching for a sustainable future

Many activities in research and education deal with sustainability and climate change. The Center for Industry and Sustainability (Zentrum für Industrie und Nachhaltigkeit – ZIN) at the Provadis School brings together international research projects and partner organizations whose findings are incorporated into teaching. ZIN sees itself as a “think and do tank” for sustainable development.

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The BioBall project

The BioBall project, which is being designed by the Provadis School and its partners, helps to use biological resources and transition manufacturers to a renewable raw material base.

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Water is an essential resource for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. Large quantities of water are also needed at Industriepark Höchst for purposes ranging from product manufacturing to process cooling.

And that makes it doubly important to responsibly manage valuable water resources. The water supply system at Industriepark Höchst relies mainly on the Main River: 95% of the water used at the park is drawn from the Main – hence its name, “river water”. Approx. 66 million m³ of river water are currently extracted from the Main every year.

As with any valuable resource, it is important to get the most out of extracted water. That is why it is “recycled” in sophisticated processes and then reused up to 50 times. In every cycle of this procedure, treated river water passes through evaporative cooling systems, where its temperature drops as much as 8 degrees Celsius, before returning to the companies’ production processes. Once it has served its purpose, the water is extensively purified and discharged back into the Main River.

Infraserv Höchst is also investing in a new automated river water works to replace the current plant, which is nearly 100 years old.

More than other industries, the chemical industry in Germany is in demand when it comes to advancing future technologies and developing sustainable solutions for energy supply, mobility and many other areas. One example is hydrogen technology, which Industriepark Höchst has been advancing for many years and which has the potential to help significantly reduce CO2 emissions. Industriepark Höchst has invested in modernizing its energy-production facilities, making the coal phase-out a reality. The production of biogas and biomethane, the use of waste heat from production and incineration plants, and high-heat-value waste to supply energy are other practical examples of measures already taken at Industriepark Höchst. Industriepark Höchst is an innovation hub for companies looking for an optimal environment to implement resource-saving technology solutions.

The responsible use of natural resources is a key issue for the chemical industry, particularly with regard to energy supply.

Production of synthetic fuels at Industriepark Höchst

A power-to-liquid pioneer plant engineered by Karlsruhe-based start-up INERATEC will start producing synthetic fuels at Industriepark Höchst in 2024 – a zero-emissions outlook for the future of aviation.

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Supplying hydrogen for fuel cell trains

RMV, the regional public transit operator, will begin replacing its diesel locomotives with 27 fuel cell trains in 2022. Infraserv Höchst will be supplying the hydrogen and building the necessary fueling infrastructure at the industrial park.

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Out of their own economic interests, the Industriepark companies strive for lasting, sustainable growth, not only in relation to their own activities, but also in relation to the Industriepark as a research and production location, the Rhine-Main region, Germany and Europe. Strategies and operational activities are geared towards successful, entrepreneurial action that always focuses not only on short-term economic benefit, but also on harmony with economic and social aspects. The long-term effects of entrepreneurial decisions are also always taken into account.​

Full employment in the sense of a labour market situation in which sufficiently qualified skilled workers are available and young people are optimally prepared for everyday working life and the demands of the world of work in schools and universities through classic dual training and additional qualification measures is desirable from the point of view of all companies. The industrial estate companies support this goal through extensive activities in the areas of training and further education.​

Decent working conditions are a matter of course at Industriepark Höchst and for the companies located here. The companies go above and beyond the regulations set forth by law and collective bargaining agreements to create optimal conditions for their employees. Compliance with labor laws is also important when working with suppliers, service providers and partner companies.​

Practical career fair informs about career opportunities at Industriepark Höchst

The Job Multiverse at Industriepark Höchst offers talented young people an interesting insight into the broad spectrum of industrial professions. Science and engineering students and young professionals can see for themselves that Industriepark Höchst is a diverse and challenging place to work.

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Innovation has a long tradition at Industriepark Höchst. For more than 150 years, research and development has been conducted at the site to develop life-saving medicines, high-performance plastics, effective crop protection agents and future-oriented technology solutions. The networking of large, internationally active companies with innovative start-ups as well as the optimal framework conditions at the site make the industrial park one of the most dynamic innovation locations for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Continuous innovation activities ensure the future viability of the companies, the location and the industry. ​

At the same time, Industriepark Höchst is a large production site with around 120 facilities. The proximity of research and production is one of Industriepark Höchst's locational advantages.​

The infrastructure - energy supply, waste and wastewater disposal, IT networks, security facilities, logistics, etc. - is tailored to the needs of the site's companies and is continuously being developed. This means that industrial activities at the site have a long-term future, because thanks to internationally competitive conditions, Industriepark Höchst can also hold its own in a global comparison with other industrial sites. ​​

New construction of a hazardous substances storage facility at Industriepark Höchst

A new hazardous substances storage facility is being built at Industriepark Höchst and will be operated by Infraserv Logistics. Holding approx. 21,500 pallet positions, the new facility has enough room to store products and raw materials for its chemical, pharmaceutical and healthcare customers.

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Production of synthetic fuels at Industriepark Höchst

A power-to-liquid pioneer plant engineered by Karlsruhe-based start-up INERATEC will start producing synthetic fuels at Industriepark Höchst in 2024 – a zero-emissions outlook for the future of aviation.

Learn more

The chemical industry is driving the further development of the circular economy to establish and continuously optimize sustainable, resource-conserving production processes. One example at Industriepark Höchst is the planned recycling of phosphates from sewage-sludge ash, which is produced when sewage sludge is incinerated.​

In this context, advancing digitalization is also helping to remodel production processes and generate additional potential for increasing efficiency through the more systematic collection and evaluation of data - in terms of costs and productivity, but also in terms of the use of resources and sustainable production processes. ​

The industrial estate companies take the view that responsibility extends beyond their own production processes and that sustainability impacts and opportunities along the entire value chain must also be taken into account. ​

The industrial estate companies live up to their responsibility for product quality by investing in state-of-the-art production facilities and in safety and quality controls. ​

The companies position themselves vis-à-vis employees, the market and society as high-performance, sustainably operating organizations that meet the highest ethical standards. The understanding of corporate responsibility also includes meeting strict compliance requirements and continuous risk management.​

Phosphorus recyling

Infraserv Höchst is involved in several phosphorus recycling projects, driving the economically and environmentally responsible use of this critical raw material.

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The chemical industry is one of the most energy-intensive industries, which consequently requires large amounts of fossil fuels and emits large amounts of CO2. The manufacturing companies in Industriepark Höchst are therefore also part of the problem when it comes to climate change and its effects. But above all, the chemical industry is also part of the solution. Because the industry's energy needs are particularly high, striving for energy efficiency, potential savings and the search for intelligent alternatives to traditional fossil fuels have always been a top priority. Chemical companies have already systematically introduced energy-saving programs and implemented extensive efficiency-boosting measures for purely economic reasons, at a time when society's sensitivity to climate change and its consequences was still far from being present.​

Today, the chemical industry in Germany is in demand above all when it comes to developing future technologies and working out sustainable solution concepts for energy supply, mobility and many other areas. ​

Production of synthetic fuels at Industriepark Höchst

A power-to-liquid pioneer plant engineered by Karlsruhe-based start-up INERATEC will start producing synthetic fuels at Industriepark Höchst in 2024 – a zero-emissions outlook for the future of aviation.

Learn more

Supplying hydrogen for fuel cell trains

RMV, the regional public transit operator, will begin replacing its diesel locomotives with 27 fuel cell trains in 2022. Infraserv Höchst will be supplying the hydrogen and building the necessary fueling infrastructure at the industrial park.

Learn more

Cooperations are a crucial success factor for creating sustainable value chains, identifying common goals with partners and developing climate-neutral solutions. The "process4sustainabilty" cluster is the latest example of a partnership that will breathe new life into sustainable development. In a variety of ways, the industrial estate companies are in continuous dialogue with different political decision-making levels, associations and federations, initiatives and communities of interest in order to facilitate an exchange of experience. Strengthening means of implementation in this context means supporting the various initiatives (e.g. LEEN = Learning Energy Efficiency Network Frankfurt).​

For 20 years, Infraserv Höchst, as the site operator, has represented the companies in Industriepark Höchst in the immediate local community through a donation concept that provides annual grants totaling EUR 75,000 to worthy projects by associations, initiatives, schools, parishes and institutions. Other sponsoring activities support cultural, social and civic life (Höchster Schlossfest, Rheingau Music Festival) or special sports activities ("Basketball macht Schule").​

Infraserv Höchst's donation program

Infraserv Höchst is committed to the community and social life in and around the Höchst site, from day care centers and schools to clubs and institutions. Its donation program has long supported charitable projects in neighboring areas.

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