With 2010 sales of EUR 10.2 billion, Bayer MaterialScience is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction and the sports and leisure industries. 

At the end of 2010, Bayer MaterialScience had 30 production sites and employed approximately 14,400 people around the globe. Bayer MaterialScience is a Bayer Group company.

Bayer MaterialScience is currently making major investments in the boom region of Asia. The integrated site in Shanghai is being expanded by Bayer into the group’s largest and most technically advanced production site in the region. The total investment planned for this site up until 2012 amounts to EUR 2.1 billion, EUR 0.7 billion of which are scheduled for the period from 2009 until 2012. 

Strong brands – high-quality, innovative products

Coatings, adhesives and sealant systems based on polyurethane raw materials from Bayer MaterialScience reliably protect surfaces against the effects of weather and chemicals, while offering high-quality mechanical properties at the same time. Environmentally-compatible Bayhydrol® and Bayhydur® coating raw materials, for instance, have proved particularly successful in water-based polyurethane paint systems. 

High-grade Makrolon®, Makrofol® and Apec® polycarbonates, together with the Bayblend® and Makroblend® polycarbonate blends, rank among Bayer MaterialScience's best-sellers. These products are indispensable when it comes to the production of automotive components, data carriers such as CDs and DVDs, and a large number of other everyday items. 

Polyurethanes are an integral part of many aspects of daily life. Their broad application range extends from mattresses, via automobile seats, refrigerator insulation and car bumpers, through to shoe soles. The key product brands used here are Desmodur® and Desmophen®.

Thermoplastic polyurethanes unite the properties of high-grade polyurethane elastomers with the efficient processability of thermoplastics. Resins under the brand names Desmopan® and Texin® are used in technical films and textile coatings, belts, hoses, cables and profiles, in the automotive sector (interior, exterior, chassis), in a multitude of applications in sports & leisure (e.g. ski and sport shoes and sport equipment) and last but not least in agriculture, mechanical engineering and industrial applications