1 Important Developments in the History of Ionic Liquids …
17
started in 1966 was joined by the ionic liquid community in 2006; the resulting 21st
EUCHEM Conference on Molten Salts and Ionic Liquids organized by Marcelle
Gaune-Escard and Kenneth R. Seddon was held at Hammamet, Tunisia. Following these events, the decision by DECHEMA can be seen as consequential and a
manifestation of the fact that the field of ionic liquids has been established.
1.7 The Startup Companies
A historical perspective by Dirk Tuma (BAM, Berlin, Germany).
How did the production of ionic liquids begin on a commercial scale? In contrast to most laboratory experiments, industrial applications require substances that
have well-defined qualities. The substances also have a completely different body of
rules regarding licensure, handling, and risk management. Major European chemical
companies
16 began to develop a portfolio of ionic liquids [83]. Additionally, ionic
liquids created a market niche for highly specialized small enterprises.
The performance of newly founded companies specializing in ionic liquids was
the subject of a scientific study on technology entrepreneurship conducted by Runge
at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany, and published in 2014
[87]. The case study comprised two German companies
17 as well as two British
businesses.
18 According to Runge, their business model is a so-called technology
push approach which is based on a new technology (i.e., ionic liquids). A disruptive
innovation based on a platform technology with a potential for broad applicability in
diverse markets but with little or no venture capital was launched. The “technology
push” strategy involves introducing new materials to the marketplace as an optimized
solution in order to gain a competitive market share with established technologies.
In 1999, a corporate spin-off
19 of the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische
Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen University was founded by Claus Hilgers and Peter
Wasserscheid, who later recruited a minority partner.
20 In 2002, the company was
awarded the Innovationspreis der deutschen Wirtschaft [88]. From 2004 onwards
at their new location at Cologne, the company had an annual production capacity greater than 5 metric tons. By 2005, the spin-off changed its business model
from a research-driven solvent maker to providing integrated systems and solutions
for customers. Twenty-two ionic liquids were available on a multi-kilogram scale;
among them a substituted quaternary ammonium sulfate,
21 labeled by the company as
“Peg-5-cocomonium methosulfate,” is the first substance produced on ton scale and
registered by the European Inventory of Existing Commercial Chemical Substances
16 BASF SE, Degussa AG, and Merck KGaA.
17 Solvent Innovation GmbH and IoLiTec GmbH.
18 Scionix Ltd. and Bioniqs Ltd.
19 Solvent Innovation GmbH.
20 Degussa AG (Evonik Industries AG since 2007).
21 ECOENG ™ 500, Solvent Innovation GmbH.
17
started in 1966 was joined by the ionic liquid community in 2006; the resulting 21st
EUCHEM Conference on Molten Salts and Ionic Liquids organized by Marcelle
Gaune-Escard and Kenneth R. Seddon was held at Hammamet, Tunisia. Following these events, the decision by DECHEMA can be seen as consequential and a
manifestation of the fact that the field of ionic liquids has been established.
1.7 The Startup Companies
A historical perspective by Dirk Tuma (BAM, Berlin, Germany).
How did the production of ionic liquids begin on a commercial scale? In contrast to most laboratory experiments, industrial applications require substances that
have well-defined qualities. The substances also have a completely different body of
rules regarding licensure, handling, and risk management. Major European chemical
companies
16 began to develop a portfolio of ionic liquids [83]. Additionally, ionic
liquids created a market niche for highly specialized small enterprises.
The performance of newly founded companies specializing in ionic liquids was
the subject of a scientific study on technology entrepreneurship conducted by Runge
at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany, and published in 2014
[87]. The case study comprised two German companies
17 as well as two British
businesses.
18 According to Runge, their business model is a so-called technology
push approach which is based on a new technology (i.e., ionic liquids). A disruptive
innovation based on a platform technology with a potential for broad applicability in
diverse markets but with little or no venture capital was launched. The “technology
push” strategy involves introducing new materials to the marketplace as an optimized
solution in order to gain a competitive market share with established technologies.
In 1999, a corporate spin-off
19 of the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische
Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen University was founded by Claus Hilgers and Peter
Wasserscheid, who later recruited a minority partner.
20 In 2002, the company was
awarded the Innovationspreis der deutschen Wirtschaft [88]. From 2004 onwards
at their new location at Cologne, the company had an annual production capacity greater than 5 metric tons. By 2005, the spin-off changed its business model
from a research-driven solvent maker to providing integrated systems and solutions
for customers. Twenty-two ionic liquids were available on a multi-kilogram scale;
among them a substituted quaternary ammonium sulfate,
21 labeled by the company as
“Peg-5-cocomonium methosulfate,” is the first substance produced on ton scale and
registered by the European Inventory of Existing Commercial Chemical Substances
16 BASF SE, Degussa AG, and Merck KGaA.
17 Solvent Innovation GmbH and IoLiTec GmbH.
18 Scionix Ltd. and Bioniqs Ltd.
19 Solvent Innovation GmbH.
20 Degussa AG (Evonik Industries AG since 2007).
21 ECOENG ™ 500, Solvent Innovation GmbH.