In the future Bayer intends to focus entirely on the Life Science businesses - HealthCare and CropScience - and float MaterialScience on the stock market as a separate company. The supervisory board unanimously approved the board of management’s plans on September 18. “Our intention is to create two top global corporations: Bayer as a world-class innovation company in the Life Science businesses (human, animal and plant health), and MaterialScience as a leading player in polymers”, Bayer CEO Marijn Dekkers announced. He said both companies have excellent prospects for success in their respective industries. Employment levels are expected to remain stable over the next few years, both globally and in Germany.

In recent years, Bayer’s centre of gravity has greatly shifted toward its Life Science activities with the successful launch of novel pharmaceutical products, the pending acquisition of the over-the-counter products business of Merck & Co. (United States), and the very successful development of the CropScience business. The aim is to continue the positive development of these activities in the future through further investment in growth. The Life Sciences currently already account for about 70 percent of Bayer's sales and 88 percent of EBITDA before special items.

It is planned to float the MaterialScience business on the stock market as a separate company within the next 12 to 18 months. A major reason for this move is to give MaterialScience direct access to capital for its future development. This access can no longer be adequately ensured within the Bayer Group due to the substantial investment needs of the Life Science businesses for both organic and external growth. Also, as a separate company, MaterialScience can align its organizational and process structures and corporate culture entirely toward its own industrial environment and business model.

The companies of the future Bayer Group had pro forma sales of approximately 29 billion euros in 2013. They will employ nearly 99,000 people, including about 29,500 in Germany. Corporate headquarters will remain in Leverkusen.

“We firmly believe that MaterialScience will use its separate status to deploy its existing strength even more rapidly, effectively and flexibly in the global competitive arena”, Dekkers commented. A strategy and corporate culture aligned to technological and cost leadership, coupled with the ability to make its own investment and portfolio decisions, would give MaterialScience the best development prospects in a highly competitive market. That, said Dekkers, includes direct capital market access so that it would not have to compete with the Life Science businesses for investment funding in the future.