Progressiveness and market leadership characterize Hydro, which is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its innovative aluminium powerhouse in Germany, the Research and Development Centre in Bonn. Within the framework of a symposium at the Petersberg Grandhotel near Bonn, the main focus of the anniversary was on innovative strength and the investment plans for the future.

"To me, the value-added chain for rolled products at Hydro begins with highly competent research and development," Oliver Bell, a member of Hydro corporate management responsible for aluminium rolled products, told the more than 100 symposium guests.

Under the theme "50 light years into the future," the rising demand and increased use of the light metal stood at the heart of the celebrations."To endorse the inventiveness of our scientists, EUR 175 million has been earmarked for the construction of new facilities in 2014 alone. With new processes in the pipeline, milestones have been set for sustainable investment in such areas as lightweight construction for the automotive industry and separation by material type in recycling."

Aluminium helps to protect the climate and the environment in a sustainable manner. Since 1964, the R&D experts in Bonn have been working systematically and consistently to improve the material properties and processes for the manufacture of top-quality input materials.

Founded as the Leichtmetall-Forschungsinstitut (LFI), the R&D Centre in Bonn today enjoys wide international recognition throughout the industry.

For decades, it has set the standard for aluminium products used in key industries – especially since focusing on rolled products since the middle of the 1990s.

Dr. Günther Horzetzky, Secretary of State for Economics, Energy, Industry, Medium-Sized Businesses and Craft Industries in North Rhine-Westphalia, and Helmut Dockter, Secretary of State for Innovation, Science and Research, were also prominent speakers at the symposium.

"We see ourselves as the pioneers of future development trends. To this end, we have built up our expertise over the decades. We also train the scientists of tomorrow on site and at universities," said Professor Wolfgang Schneider, Head of R&D Bonn.

"As the voice of aluminium technology, we are the driving force for progress and technological breakthroughs. By assuming the lead role in state- and EU-funded projects, we have made a major contribution to many successes and, as a result, technological advance."

Accordingly, Hydro participates in the Open Innovation Research Cluster for Advanced Metal and Processes (AMAP) in Aachen and, in association with other companies, developed the SUPER LIGHT CAR, which reduced the weight of motor cars in a sustainable way.

Towards a light future with aluminium – this is the guiding principle of Professor Schneider and his more than 100-strong team as they work on the next generation of far-reaching research results.