Verena Paul (24), the new team leader of Dörken’s water-based basecoat development division, joined Dörken MKS-Systeme GmbH & Co. KG, Herdecke, on 15th October 2009. During her German Diploma study in Bio and Nanotechnology, with an emphasis on surface technology, at South Westphalia University and of an integrated work placement semester at BASF Coatings AG in Münster-Hiltrup, she has worked on “Influencing macroscopic properties of two-component silanized clear varnish systems”. This managing position in Dörken’s development division team is Ms Paul’s first major occupational challenge. Dörken MKS-Systeme made a conscious point of choosing a highly qualified young academic for this position in order to bring some fresh air and thinking into its ‘green’ product development division.

Dörken MKS-Systeme has a long tradition of developing environmentally-friendly coating technologies, and its zinc lamella systems, for example, have always been free from chromium (VI). However, Dörken-MKS has taken this approach even further in recent years and developed water-based and air-drying products such as the VOC-free DELTA-PROTEKT® KH 250, a highly efficient corrosion protection system for brake disks and drums that can be cured at room temperature. The company, which was awarded the “Top 100 Innovator” seal in 2008, has now adopted a strategically oriented innovation management system in order to drive forward this and all of its other product ranges. In this connection, the company also held an innovation workshop with OEMs from various sectors, including the automotive industry, the wind energy plant and the aeronautical engineering sectors, in order to investigate new perspectives for the development of micro-layer corrosion protection systems.