Evonik and Vland have signed a joint development agreement (JDA) as part of their existing broader partnership in the field of probiotics for animal nutrition and enzymes for industrial applications. The new agreement expands upon one the two companies signed in November 2018.

According to the announcement, the combination of Vland’s core production technology and Evonik’s strong global market presence — as well as the shared focus on technology and application of probiotic solutions — is expected to bring mutual benefits to both partners, including new product developments.

“The JDA is expected to stimulate innovation and joint R&D [research and development] activities in the field of selection, production, formulation and application of our new probiotic solution,” said Dr. Emmanuel Auer, head of Evonik’s Animal Nutrition Business Line. “Evonik is excited to partner with Vland in this joint initiative to develop the next probiotic solution focusing on a more sustainable, efficient and environmentally friendly production.”

After years of cooperation, Vland and Evonik are extending the scope of the JDA “to plant, livestock and aquaculture in the solution of probiotics products," Vland chief executive officer Aron Chen said, adding that Vland will "focus on R&D and globalization and strive to become a technology-driven enterprise.”

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Vland Biotech was established in 2005. Headquartered in Qingdao in the Shandong province of China, Vland specializes in R&D of four main product categories: enzymes, probiotics, vaccines and animal health products. The company is dedicated to the provision of core technological support for bio-manufacturing, green solutions for food safety and clean and energy-saving technologies to traditional industries.

Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. Its Nutrition & Care segment is led by Evonik Nutrition & Care GmbH and contributes to fulfilling basic human needs. That includes applications for everyday consumer goods as well as animal nutrition and health care. This segment had about 8,200 employees and generated sales of around 4.6 billion euros in 2018.