BRAND-NEW
Evonik Joins the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab to Accelerate Innovation with Artificial Intelligence Evonik extended its collaboration with IBM in the field of digitalization until 2025 and became the first chemical company in the world to participate in the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab for research and development of AI.
E
vonik has extended its strategic partnership with technology
Hahn has a positive view of the strategic partnership with IBM, which
firm IBM until 2025. Making this decision early creates more
has been in place since 2017: “The joint work has helped to drive
opportunities for longer-term projects. Additionally, Evonik
forward digital transformation in a targeted manner. Evonik sees itself
will be part of the R&D project for artificial intelligence at the
as a pioneer in digitization in the chemical industry. Our partnership
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), becoming the world’s
with IBM and our new commitment to the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab
first chemical company to join.
further substantiate this claim”.
Artificial intelligence is a critical tool for innovation and improvement
During these years, Evonik and IBM have already studied new
in the chemical industry and Evonik is looking forward to joining
opportunities to create a collaborative intelligence between humans
the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab and its advisory board to help with its
and machines, in pilot projects. Experts now have the ability to
ideas and applications through materials discovery, formulation
access and analyse valuable information in an easy and intuitive
technology, knowledge management and market analysis to advance
way. New connections between data can now be found and chemist
general applications of AI in the chemical industry. At the MIT campus
can intuitively explore and compare formulations and their related
in Cambridge, Massachusetts, experts are studying the potential
properties to find ideas for new products.
uses and effects of AI. “Bright minds from science and business are
Evonik and IBM have also managed to build Artificial Intelligence
working jointly together on digital progress. We are delighted to be
that will further accelerate the research for new materials. Working
part of it,” says Henrik Hahn, chief digital officer (CDO) of Evonik.
in close collaboration with IBM Research, a Deep Neural Network
“The work on artificial intelligence is also a litmus test of what digital
that predicts properties or new formulations for high-performance
systems can do: for example, we are looking at how decisions can
polymers was also developed and trained. These forecasts support
be made better, more systematically and faster with the help of
researchers in their search for new products and solutions.
algorithms,” says Hahn. “Ultimately, it’s about the value AI can add to the company,” he says.
© Evonik
© Evonik
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For further information: https://corporate.evonik.com/en
N. 69 - MAY/JUNE 2021 - international PAINT&COATING magazine
Henrik Hahn.
