CTC Delitzsch: Future of chemistry with 1000 new jobs!

CTC Delitzsch: Future of chemistry with 1000 new jobs!

The new research center, the Center for the Transformation of Chemistry (CTC), is located in the heart of Delitzsch. This future-oriented project aims to transform the chemical industry from a linear to a circular economy structure. The need for such a change is more than evident, because the chemical industry is one of the sectors with the highest sales in Germany and is heavily dependent on fossil raw materials. It causes high CO₂ emissions as well as toxic waste and wastewater, highlighting the need for innovative approaches in the industry. The Association of the Chemical Industry (VCI) has published a roadmap that shows the path to a greenhouse gas-neutral chemical industry and analyzes important potential for CO₂ reduction.

The CTC is expected to create around 1,000 new jobs, with around 700 positions being located directly in Delitzsch. There are currently 65 employees from 12 nations working in the team, with almost half working directly in Delitzsch. Among them is Laura Lintis, a data engineer who has been working at the CTC since July 2025 and is working on data infrastructure and new chemical processes. Ghassen Jabri, an IT systems engineer, has been supporting the construction of the large research center for one and a half years, while Nicolaas Kramer, as an architect, is responsible for the construction planning. Further support is provided by Ilia Dorokhov, an automation scientist who commutes between Delitzsch and Leuna.

A look at financing

The total funding of the CTC by 2038 will be over 1.1 billion euros from the federal government. This significant investment shows how important the transformation of the chemical industry is for the Federal Republic of Germany. In order to overcome the many challenges and developments in the industry, the CTC will also work in a transdisciplinary manner, which means that partners from science, business and society will be involved. This structured approach is intended to contribute to the effective transfer of scientific knowledge, and collaboration will be fundamental to the success of the project.

The chemical industry has changed and the CTC is becoming a central player in Central Germany, staffed by specialists from both the region and internationally. Given the current challenges, it is crucial to focus on sustainable practices such as renewable resources and recycling. This is an important step to advance the industry beyond the current climate conditions while achieving greenhouse gas neutrality goals.

The path to greenhouse gas neutrality

In its new roadmap, the VCI proposes three different paths to greenhouse gas neutrality, which represent different ambitions. While the reference path envisages optimizing the existing system park, the technology path requires heavy investments in new process technologies. The most ambitious path, the path to greenhouse gas neutrality, even requires a complete replacement of conventional processes with emission-free processes by 2050. These initiatives place high demands on the availability of renewable electricity in large quantities at low prices. This shows once again that the transformation costs money, but also offers an enormous opportunity for sustainable economic prospects.

The CTC is therefore not just a workplace, but a place that offers promising solutions to the challenges of the chemical industry. The course for the future has been set with a multi-layered strategy that takes both local needs and global responsibility into account. The ideas competition “Knowledge creates perspectives in the region!” has already made the first step towards promoting the CTC possible and shows that the region is ready to take innovative paths.

For anyone interested in learning more about the CTC and the desired transformation of chemistry, information is regularly provided on the Transforming Chemistry website.