Innovation

Six active patents

Ercros' R&D activity is focused on:

• The development of new products with high added value.
• New applications of consolidated products.
• Improving the efficiency of production processes.
• Expansion of production capacity.

Ercros has six patents registered and in force.

The company has four R&D centres of its own, located in the Aranjuez, Monzón, Sabiñánigo and Tortosa factories, which serve the pharmaceutical, plastics, basic chemicals and intermediate chemicals activities, respectively.

The 3D Plan guides R&D activity

Diversification, decarbonisation and digitalisation, the three dimensions of Ercros' strategic plan, the 3D Plan, guide R&D activity. This plan follows Plan Act, which ended in 2020 and has involved modernising, improving energy efficiency and increasing the capacity of several production facilities.

The 3D Plan, in force for the period 2021-2029, aims to transform Ercros into a sustainable company; it contains 20 projects, framed in the three dimensions:

• The aim of diversification is to control and, if possible, reduce Ercros' strong cyclical dependence on the chlorine-soda business.
• The objective of digitalisation is to improve Ercros' competitiveness by reducing operating costs, increasing the volume of production and sales, and strengthening customer loyalty.
• The objective of decarbonisation is to intensify the efforts Ercros is already making to mitigate climate change and adapt to the new regulatory framework for industrial activity. We expect that at the end of the first phase of the 3D Plan, in 2025, the direct CO2 emissions generated by the company's activity will have been reduced by 39% vs. 2020.

The 3D Plan foresees an investment of 92 million euros and an additional cumulative ebitda generation of 194 million euros. The plan is being financed with internally generated resources and European and other public aid, such as a EUR 40 million loan granted by the European Investment Bank (EIB). The premise is that the implementation of the plan will not jeopardise the company's financial solvency or shareholder remuneration.