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- Anne Windberg Baarup’s extensive materials expertise strengthens expansion of sustainability activities for Continental’s group sector ContiTech
- One focus is on replacing conventional materials with recycled and bio-based ones
- Philip Nelles, member of the Continental Executive Board responsible for the group sector ContiTech: “By 2030, 35% of all products for the industrial business will be made from sustainable materials”
Anne Windberg Baarup took over the management of the sustainability department for Continental’s group sector ContiTech on June 1, 2024. She is now responsible for the strategic direction and global management of sustainability activities for the company’s industrial business. In her new position, she reports directly to Claus Peter Spille, head of Operations at ContiTech. Baarup has been working for Continental for eight years in various functions. She has extensive experience in the areas of materials technology, HR and organizational development. Most recently, the 46-year-old was employed as head of Material Technology Solutions for Continental’s tire business, where she actively promoted the research into and implementation of sustainable materials.
“Anne Windberg Baarup will further develop our strategic priorities and activities in the area of sustainability and ensure their global implementation,” said Claus Peter Spille, Head of Operations at ContiTech. “Her experience and knowledge in the field of materials ensure that we will continue to develop sustainable material solutions for the various environmental challenges of our customers, industries and markets. For us as material experts, sustainability also means selecting the right materials, putting together recyclable material mixtures and ultimately manufacturing our products in an environmentally friendly way. In Anne Windberg Baarup, we have found exactly the right person for the job.” In addition, Anne Windberg Baarup will drive the further expansion of sustainable production facilities at ContiTech worldwide.
Ambitious goals and concrete steps: focus on material substitution
A central focus of ContiTech’s sustainability strategy is the substitution of conventional materials with more sustainable alternatives. This includes both bio-based and, above all, recycled materials. “We have set ourselves the goal of manufacturing all our products based entirely on sustainable materials by 2050 at the latest. To achieve this goal step by step, we will increase the proportion of sustainable materials in our products to 35% by the end of 2030. We are thus consistently continuing on our course and underscoring our commitment to a future-oriented circular economy,” says Philip Nelles, Member of Continental’s Executive Board for ContiTech.
Sustainable and recycled materials are already being used in different ContiTech products today, including, for example, the artificial leather skai® VyP Coffee, which is made from coffee grounds reused to produce breathable upholstery fabrics. In addition, ContiTech has developed concepts to increase the proportion of sustainable materials in existing products, such as air springs, and to reduce the CO2 footprint. The company uses sustainable natural rubber, bio-based oils and plasticizers as well as recycled steel bead wires instead of conventional raw materials.
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As part of its research and development activities in the field of sustainability, the company collaborates closely with partners along the entire value chain. Continental is currently working with start-ups and university groups from the Innovation Network for Advanced Materials (INAM) to find a rubber alternative that can replace the fossil-based material in the air bellow for air suspension systems in buses, trucks and trains. More information on the current challenge is available here.