Bayer celebrates 150 years with a world tour

In 2013, Bayer is celebrating its 150th anniversary worldwide with more than 20 projects. "The many anniversary activities will concentrate on three main areas. The employees are the center of our anniversary celebrations. We will be emphasizing the international nature of Bayer. And we will show all our stakeholders and the public how much Bayer is doing to improve people's lives", explains CEO Marijn Dekkers.
An interactive exhibition, inaugurated on February 28 at the Leverkusen headquarters, will travel to around 30 sites in Europe, America, Asia, Africa and Australia. The leitmotif for its tour is the mission: "Bayer: Science For A Better Life". The exhibition will feature displays on the topics of health care, agriculture and high-quality materials.
At most museums, the visitors are warned "Do not touch", but on the Bayer anniversary tour that rule does not apply. On the contrary: the exhibits – microscopes, thermal imaging cameras, digital games and many more – are designed specifically to be touched and tried out. The concept of the exhibition combines entertaining elements with educational ones to encourage visitors to interact with the displays. "Many people are only indirectly familiar with the services and products provided by Bayer. The exhibits on show are taken from real-life, tangible examples and intended to make clear how Bayer, through research and innovative products, helps improve the lives of millions of people around the world," explains Michael Schade, head of Corporate Communications at Bayer.
The 21 boxes of the exhibition will travel inside large containers marked with the Bayer Cross. The Leverkusen-based company's symbol will also be visible in the air - decorating an airship in Bayer's corporate colors of blue and green. The airship tour will be combined with numerous events and documented on the internet and in the social media. To mark the anniversary, the Bayer 04 soccer professionals will be playing exhibition games in different countries, such as Japan and China.
Also premiering is an exhibition of artworks, which will be shown outside the company for the first time. "From Beckmann to Warhol. 20th and 21st century art. The Bayer collection" is the title of an exhibition to be held in Berlin's Gropius-Bau from March 22 to June 9, 2013. 240 works by 95 artists will be on display.
More than 400 scientists will meet in Leverkusen in early November 2013 to attend a major science symposium. In this way, the inventor company aims to further strengthen its dialog with the academic research community.
As pointed out by Chiassarini, Bayer supports young researchers and volunteering and this year will be hosting the national final of the "Jugend forscht" student research competition. The Bayer Cares Foundation, which is devoted to social issues, will be extending its volunteering program internationally to mark the anniversary.
An enactment of the company's mission that appeals to all the senses: that is the aim of the official celebration event that will be held at the Cologne Exhibition Center on July 16, 2013 and will be attended by more than 1,000 international guests from politics, business and society.