Merck 2014 Annual Report Download - page 67

62 GROUP MANAGEMENT REPORT → FUNDAMENTAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE GROUP → Corporate Responsibility
Within the scope of our cosmetic products business, we are work-
ing to sustainably procure and produce cosmetic ingredients as
well as optimize the related production processes. In dialogue with
our customers from the cosmetics industry, we are also developing
cosmetic formulations that meet strict sustainability criteria and
address the current trend towards more natural cosmetics. Several
of our products have been certified by Ecocert, an independent
organization that represents high international standards for
environmentally sustainable products.
At the Life Science business, the Design for Sustainability
(DfS) program is especially aimed at reducing environmental
impacts, also through customers’ own use, for example their
greenhouse gas emissions and water use. In 2014, the Life Science
business completed the integration of the DfS approach into the
product development process. Beginning with the concept stage,
product teams identify potential environmental impacts in vari-
ous product life cycle stages as well as opportunities to make
improvements. A scorecard is used to assess product designs in six
focus categories: Materials, Energy and Emissions, Waste, Water,
Packaging, as well as Usability and Innovation.
Additionally, the Group fosters its employees’ ideas for new
businesses through its Innospire program. In 2014, the program
centered on the topics of energy conservation, conversion and
efficiency, water treatment, water quality analyses, and efficient
water consumption, along with patient focus, personalized medi-
cine and digital / mobile health. The employees of MerckKGaA,
Darmstadt, Germany, were called upon to submit suggestions for
new materials and systems, as well as for new business models.
During the 2014 Innospire program, 300ideas were submitted,
including some that pertained to the aforementioned topics.
STRATEGIC SPHERE OF ACTIVITY: CULTURE
Cultural promotion is a core element of our engagement in society
that reflects the company’s centuries-old tradition of supporting
art and culture. After all, culture nurtures characteristics that are
indispensable to our business activities as a high-tech company:
creativity, enthusiasm for new discoveries and the courage to
transcend boundaries. Our cultural engagement focuses on music,
literature and education.
Deutsche Philharmonie of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt,
Germany
The Deutsche Philharmonie of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany,
is our musical ambassador. We consider classical music to be the
universal language that brings people together; as such, it rep-
resents an important part of our
culture. The concerts of this pro-
fessional ensemble are highly popular, with around 26,000 people
attending them per year. They represent an integral part of the
cultural life in the vicinity of our global headquarters in Darmstadt.
Special events for children and adolescents as well as collaboration
with schools, such as the orchestra workshop held once a year
since 2010, aim to make classical music more accessible to young
people.
Additionally, the Deutsche Philharmonie of Merck KGaA,
Darmstadt, Germany, regularly invites international ensembles to
play in Darmstadt while also touring the globe itself. In 2014
the orchestra gave a charity concert in the United Arab Emirates
to raise money for patients with multiple sclerosis.
Fostering literature
Literature can stimulate the imagination; it can alleviate fears and
give courage. Literature can also address scientific topics, thus
furthering a deeper understanding of science and research. Through
our engagement, we aim to help society better accept science and
scientific progress. In addition, as an international company, we
foster writers who further cultural exchange in our globalized
world.
The company grants and promotes four literary prizes world-
wide. Since 1964, we have been sponsoring the renowned Johann
Heinrich Merck Award for Literary Critique and Essay, which is
presented by the German Academy for Language and Poetry at
its annual autumn conference. The award, which comes with a
€20,000
prize, went to publicist Carolin Emcke in 2014.
For 12 years, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, has been
sponsoring the Premio Letterario of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt,
Germany, in Italy. This award is worth €10,000 and recognizes
authors who build bridges between literature and science, thereby
making them accessible to a wide audience. In 2014, the award
went to Carlo Rovelli, an Italian physicist, and to Francisco
Gonzales- Crussi, a Mexican physician and writer.
In India, the company collaborates with the Goethe-Institut
Calcutta to present the Merck Tagore Award of Merck KGaA,
Darmstadt, Germany, which is worth 500,000 Indian rupees
(around €7,200); this literary prize is granted every two years to