Umicore outlined the key elements of its new strategy – Vision 2015 – during its Capital Markets Days event being hosted at its Hoboken facility in Belgium. This strategy positions Umicore for various exciting new growth opportunities and also introduces ambitious new environmental and social objectives.

Umicore has leading positions in technologies and product areas linked to markets which are expected to experience significant growth in the coming years. These markets are driven by key themes such as resource scarcity, the electrification of the automobile, more stringent emission norms and the drive for renewable energy.

The key growth areas for Umicore are:
• Rechargeable battery materials for hybrid and electric vehicles.
• Expanding recycling activities to new input streams.
• Expanding into new emission control catalyst segments.
• Materials for photovoltaic applications.

In recent years and months. Umicore has been laying the foundations for success in these domains with a series of strategic investments and a consistently high level of commitment to its research and development efforts. In June 2010, Umicore also implemented organizational changes as part of this strategy in order to fully align the organization with the growth opportunities. These changes saw the creation of four business groups: Catalysis, Energy Materials, Performance Materials and Recycling.

The emergence of new applications in Energy Materials, Recycling and Catalysis offers double digit growth potential in the next five to 10 years, while the Performance Materials activities are expected to grow at global GDP rate over the same time horizon.

Umicore’s strategy also focuses strongly on further improving the Group’s social and environmental performance.

“Our strategy is the logical extension of our development path in recent years,” said Marc Grynberg, CEO of Umicore. “We have a strong track record of developing breakthrough materials and recycling services for our customers. In certain areas our competences are finding an increasingly important role in major new growth markets; our strategy is designed to maximize these opportunities in the coming years. We do not, however, seek to grow at any price; we aim to combine our growth with a continued commitment to value creation coupled with a responsible business approach.”