Bayer celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. What started out as a small dyestuffs factory is now a global enterprise with more than 110 000 employees. Bayer now holds leading positions in all business areas.

In his Editorial in Angewandte Chemie, Wolfgang Plischke, Member of the Board of Management, Bayer AG, explains what has made the company so successful. A strong innovation culture and a systematic approach to innovation are key. It is also important to provide an environment that keeps colleagues loyal to the company and to be willing to enter into innovation partnerships, such as schemes with the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, Germany, and an innovation incubator for start-up companies in San Francisco, USA. Bayer’s unique structure means that human, animal, and plant health sectors are all combined under one roof. An example of successful transfer between these sectors include the development of Canesten, which is used to treat fungal skin infections in humans and contains the same active ingredient as the fungicide Folicur.

According to Wolfgang Plischke, the company is committed to innovation, not only in terms of financial resources, but also by inspiring people to appreciate the value of innovation through curiosity and enthusiasm.

• 150 Years of Bayer: Success through Science-Based Innovation,
  Wolfgang Plischke,
  Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2013.
  DOI: 10.1002/anie.201305320