EANS-News: Semperit AG Holding European innovation award EARTO 2016 goes to
Semperit and PCCL
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Research & Development
Last night, Semperit and the Polymer Competence Center Leoben GmbH (PCCL)
received the European innovation award EARTO 2016 in Brussels for the
development of Sempermed® Syntegra UV, the first anti-allergenic surgical glove
worldwide. With innovative production technology, unique product characteristics
and an energy-efficient manufacturing process, both development partners
prevailed against a total of 35 competitors. A unique feature of this product is
that the surgical glove - which is made from polyisoprene, a material similar to
natural latex - is cured using UV light instead of potentially allergenic
chemical accelerators.
"We are very happy that we were able to bring the EARTO, the most important
European innovation award, to Austria. This proves the high innovation power of
Semperit. With the Sempermed® Syntegra UV, we have succeeded in developing a
surgical glove that prevents allergic reactions. Since it was brought onto the
market in 2013, it has enabled us to contribute to an improvement in the quality
of life of millions of professionals in the European healthcare sector," says
Richard Ehrenfeldner, Chief Operating Officer of Sempermed. There was also great
joy about the award at the UAR associated company PCCL, says Martin Payer,
Chairman of the Board: "For us, the EARTO is a major recognition of our research
work for several years. Our goal was a results-oriented, efficient research that
we were able to realise in the best way with Semperit as our partner. The next
innovation by PCCL and Semperit is already in the pipeline." Wilfried
Enzenhofer, CEO of Upper Austrian Research GmbH, emphasises: "We are very proud
that a research cooperation of Upper Austrian Research received the desired
EARTO innovation award 2016. This proves once again that the research
performance of the UAR Group is at the highest international level."
CO2footprint reduction
Alongside the innovative production technology, the EARTO judges were also
convinced by the unique properties of the Sempermed® Syntegra UV. The glove that
is gentle on the skin is equivalent to a premium latex surgical glove in terms
of tactile sense, wearer comfort and fit.A further factor was the energy-
efficient manufacturing process, which by means of lower temperatures and higher
throughput rates leads to a significant reduction in the CO2footprint. The
process is patented and has already received a number of awards.
EARTO (European Association of Research and Technology Organisation) is an
international non-profit organisation based in Brussels. With the EARTO Award,
the organisation recognises innovations, which bring substantial social or
economic benefits to the EU. The award was presented this year for the eighth
time in succession.
About Semperit
The publicly listed company Semperit AG Holding is an internationally-oriented
group that develops, produces, and sells highly specialised rubber and plastic
products in more than 100 countries for the medical and industrial sectors:
examination and surgical gloves, hydraulic and industrial hoses, conveyor belts,
escalator handrails, construction profiles, cable car rings, and products for
railway superstructures. The headquarters of this traditional Austrian company,
which was founded in 1824, are located in Vienna. The Semperit Group employs
more than 7,000 people worldwide, including close to 4,100 in Asia and more than
800 in Austria (Vienna and production site in Wimpassing, Lower Austria). The
group has 22 manufacturing facilities worldwide and numerous sales offices in
Europe, Asia, America and Australia. In 2015, the group generated sales of EUR
915 million and EBITDA of EUR 96 million.
About Sempermed
Sempermed is the largest segment of the Semperit Group and is ranked among the
international leading manufacturers of medical and industrial gloves. At
Sempermed's research centre in Wimpassing, lower Austria, new products are
continually developed and tested in close cooperation with users and experts.
For more than 95 years, Sempermed has been producing gloves of the highest
quality and as the worldwide leader in technology we are setting standards in
terms of quality and innovation. Sempermed guarantees optimum safety and
reliability, highest production hygiene and strictest quality checks.
About PCCL
The Polymer Competence Center Leoben GmbH (PCCL) is the leading centre for
collaborative research in polymer technology and polymer science in Austria.
Together with companies in the polymer industry and universities (among others
Montanuniversität Leoben) our nearly one hundred experts carry out R&D projects
for innovative polymer solutions in diverse applications, including automotive,
aerospace, packaging and solar and photovoltaic applications. This is completed
by the K project "Functional Polymer Composites (PolyComp)" in the field of
polymer-based composites for electro-technical and electronic applications
(www.pccl.at).
About UAR
As the leading organisation for research of the federal province of Upper
Austria, Upper Austrian Research GmbH (UAR) supports Upper Austria in its
research policy-related tasks - in particular in the fields of strategy, project
development, coordination, internationalisation, building strategic alliances &
networks as well as marketing & communication. In addition, UAR holds numerous
shares in renowned research centres. The associated companies of UAR are closely
interlinked with each other but also with the entire national and international
research landscape. This close cooperation creates a market-based innovation
process and gives companies the decisive edge (www.uar.at).
Further inquiry note:
Anna Lasinger-Guserl
Group Head of Communications and Sustainability
Tel.: +43 676 8715 8217
anna.lasinger-guserl@semperitgroup.com
Martina Büchele
Group Communications Manager
Tel.: +43 676 8715 8621
martina.buechele@semperitgroup.com
Stefan Marin
Head of Investor Relations
Tel.: +43 676 8715 8210
stefan.marin@semperitgroup.comwww.semperitgroup.com
end of announcement euro adhoc
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company: Semperit AG Holding
Modecenterstrasse 22
A-1030 Wien
phone: +43 1 79 777-210
FAX: +43 1 79 777-602
WWW: www.semperitgroup.com
sector: Synthetics & Plastics
ISIN: AT0000785555
indexes: WBI, ATX Prime, ViDX, Prime Market, ATX Global Players
stockmarkets: official market: Wien
language: English