In Good Company, Knauer

How do you define Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?

I know what it is not. It is not a marketing tool – or a trend. To me, CSR doesn’t necessarily mean huge, expensive initiatives. We have certainly invested significantly in CSR, but sometimes the simplest actions can have a big impact. We believe CSR should run through every aspect of the business – from designing instruments that use more eco-friendly materials to organizing an annual fun run in the community.

“Responsibility” is the crucial word – putting not just yourself or your profits at the heart of your decision-making, but your employees, your community and your environment. There is so much we can do as companies and as individuals to make things better for everyone – and I believe we all have a responsibility to seize that opportunity. Of course, the 135 people who make up KNAUER cannot save the world single-handedly, but we do what we can.

KNAUER won Germany’s “Leading Employer” Award in February 2018 – how did that feel?

It’s great to be seen and recognized as a good employer because it helps us to attract the best talents. People these days don’t just base their career decisions on salary – they want to know that there is a positive company culture and programs to support staff, such as family-friendly working. Our goal is to make KNAUER such a great place to work that it is difficult for our employees to leave us!

Employees clearly love the company’s focus on CSR – what about customers?

Our experience is that our commitment to CSR helps people to remember KNAUER, and to see the company in a positive light. When customers come to visit us, they often tell me how struck they are by the positive atmosphere. Quality and cost of our HPLC instruments and osmometers  are, of course, primary factors when making purchasing decisions, but companies also like to work with partners who share the same values; it’s the “feel good factor”.

What are some of your personal CSR highlights?

A few of our initiatives stand out for me. Business bicycles is a scheme that allows our staff to get a good quality bicycle at a low price. The staff loves it, and it encourages commuting by bicycle instead of car, so it’s good for the environment too.

As part of our “Bye Bye Plastic” initiative, we set out to reduce the number of single-use plastic bottles in our headquarters. We worked out that if half of our employees bought a plastic bottle every day, it adds up to around 30,000 bottles every year. Many employees were buying bottles of sparkling water (very popular in Germany), so we have installed a sparkling water machine and provide reusable glass bottles.

Our Kids’ Explorer Club is a fun way for us to get involved in the community, and to share our enthusiasm for science with kids. We have dedicated a room at KNAUER HQ as a laboratory for school children (age 10-12), where they carry out fun experiments with our educational HPLC system to learn about how scientists test rivers for pollution or determine caffeine in cola drinks.

KNAUER hosted last year’s Humanity in Science Award – why?

Last October, we celebrated our 55th company anniversary. Our long-lasting success in the field of analytical instrumentation makes us both proud and grateful, and to celebrate we wanted to give back to the scientific community. This great award was the perfect opportunity for us to show how much we value the amazing work carried out by scientists around the world for the sake of humanity, and Richard Jähnke was a deserving winner.

Does being a family-owned company give KNAUER a different outlook on CSR?

I believe so. As the owner, I have the freedom to decide which strategy we pursue, and the importance we place on CSR. Of course, it’s important for everyone here that we are a successful business and make healthy profits, but I also want our company to be a good place to work as I mentioned earlier – after all, a strong team is critical for business success.

I think it’s easier for a family company to look at the long-term – I feel a responsibility to future generations. The nature of CSR is that you are never “done”. There are always areas where you can improve, and compromises you must make.

What’s next?

We are proud to have recently joined the United National Global Compact movement – the world’s largest and most important initiative for responsible corporate governance, which involves more than 12,800 companies and organizations. By joining the scheme, we are pooling our efforts with other companies across the world who share the goal of making business a force for good. We look forward to taking an active role in the Compact and sharing ideas for new initiatives.