Group Management Report Products Safety and Health Environment Human Resources Social Commitment Consolidated Financial Statements 67
amounted to € 154.1 million (previous year: € 142.5 million).
The fact that the share of research and development
expenses in sales was higher once again, at 6.7 % (previous
year: 6.3 %), is yet another expression of our innovative
focus.
Employees
In the course of 2018, the number of people employed by
the ALTANA Group climbed by 242, or 4 %, to 6,428
(previous year: 6,186). The increase is primarily attributable
to investments in our strategic growth fields and the expan-
sion of our business activities. Business combinations
played
no role in the development of our staff numbers in 2018,
while in 2017 111 employees were added due to acquisitions.
The divisions within the Group exhibited different
growth rates in 2018.
In the BYK division, the number of employees rose by
124 to 2,324 (previous year: 2,200). The companies in
Germany, China, and the U.S. accounted for the most significant
share of the increase, against the backdrop of the
strategic expansion of business activities in the additives segment
and in the testing and measuring instruments business
in Germany.
The number of employees in the ECKART division remained
virtually constant at 1,718 people (previous year:
1,716). But the development within the division was uneven.
While a slight decrease was recorded at the division’s
American sites, the headcount at its Swiss, German, and
Chinese sites increased slightly due to the expansion of
business activities.
In the course of 2018, the workforce of the ELANTAS
division increased by 26 to a total of 1,087 people (pre-
vious year: 1,061). The division’s companies in Italy, China,
and Germany accounted for the main share of the increase.
Meanwhile, staff numbers in the U.S. decreased.
ACTEGA’s headcount rose by 57 to 1,151 employees
(previous year: 1,094). The main reason was the expansion
of business activities in the course of the year by the division’s
sites in Germany. The number of employees also increased
in the U.S.
Staff numbers of the Group holding companies climbed
by 33 to 148 in the past fiscal year (previous year: 115),
recording the highest-percentage increase. This is mainly due
Employees in research and development
BYK 503
ECKART 224
ELANTAS 173
ACTEGA 221
Holding 7
Total 1,128
Employees by division
1
5
2
3
26.7 %
16.9 %
36.2 %
2.3 %
4 17.9 %
Dec. 31,
2017
Dec. 31,
2018
Δ %
1 BYK 2,200 2,324 6
2 ECKART 1,716 1,718 0
3 ELANTAS 1,061 1,087 2
4 ACTEGA 1,094 1,151 5
5 Holding 115 148 29
Total 6,186 6,428 4