The Umicore Way

ÖGUSSA is proud to be an integral part of Umicore, a global materials engineering group, which applies its expertise in materials science, chemistry and metallurgy to applications in which it makes a crucial difference.

The Umicore Way forms the foundation of our activities at Umicore. It includes our fundamental values, the methods with which we achieve these objectives, and our comprehensive commitment to sustainable development. The Umicore Way is intended not only for our staff; it also covers our relationships with all our partners. Our primary objective lies in contributing to an even more successful and respected company, through strict application of the Umicore Way.

Find out more about how the Umicore Way defines our company and drives our success.

Materials for a better life

We are firmly convinced that materials are a central element in mankind's development. Not only are they very important today; they will also play a crucial role for our well-being in the future. Metallic materials in particular are especially important in this respect, as they can be used very efficiently and recycled countless times. They form the basis for sustainable products and services.

Our vision is that Umicore will take a leading position in the provision and development of material solutions that make a significant contribution to improving quality of life. We are determined to do our bit and to make the world sustainable with innovative materials and solutions.

Focus on Our Customers

At Umicore, our customers are at the centre of what we do. We are experts in the development, production, application, marketing and recycling of metallic materials. Our strengths in metallurgy, chemistry and material sciences are combined with in-depth understanding of the needs, applications and systems of our customers. Our company concentrates on four business areas, in which we strive for leading positions and which our customers recognise as groundbreaking: battery materials, catalysis, recycling and specialty materials.

Our stated aim is to be the preferred partner for our customers. With a highly qualified team, outstanding work and technological innovation, we are determined to drive growth in our business and to create lasting value.

Our Corporate Values

Our corporate values are the cornerstones of our success. Openness, innovation, respect, teamwork and commitment are of central importance for us. We foster and promote these values in our everyday work and are prepared to respond appropriately if they are not respected.

Environmental Responsibility

We take our responsibility for the environment extremely seriously and we constantly campaign for environmentally friendly practices, abiding by the following principles:

  • Continuous Environmental Improvement: We continuously strive for reduction of our environmental impact and improvement of our environmental performance.

  • Management of Contaminated Sites: We are actively involved in the management and remediation of contaminated sites that are the result of previous activities, in order to deal with them safely and responsibly.

  • Risk Management: Our decisions and strategies in the environmental sector are based on scientifically substantiated data and careful risk management.

  • Sustainable Product Design: We stand for the development and promotion of our products in accordance with the principles of responsible design, use, reuse, recycling and disposal.

Our environmental responsibility is an integral part of our corporate culture and we are determined that is should be continuously improved.

Social Responsibility

We are aware of our our social responsibility and actively campaign for respect for basic human rights in all our global business activities. We are actively involved in the communities in which we operate, and we strive to make a positive contribution to them. Maintaining effective and transparent communication with our partners is very important to us, and we use this dialogue as an incentive for continuous improvement of our services.

Staff

We have set ourselves the objective of being an employer of choice for our current and future staff. We are therefore guided by the following principles:

  • We do not compromise on safety and we try to create an accident-free working environment for all.
  • We want to guarantee that Umicore is a safe workplace, and we want to achieve continuous improvement of our performance in the area of workplace health.
  • We empower all staff to contribute to our success. Performance is assessed regularly and rewarded appropriately.
  • We support our employees, offer them training, and encourage them with development opportunities.
  • We believe in equal opportunities, fairness and diversity. Recruitment and promotion are undertaken on the basis of qualification for the work to be done.
  • We rely on constructive dialogue between employer and employees and their representatives.

 

Shareholders

Our objective is to create corporate value with a medium- and long-term focus. We strive for sustainable growth that takes into account financial, environment-related and social aspects. Our principal benchmark for the creation of corporate value is return on investment. We aim for returns from all activities in excess of the capital costs required for their continuation. In our communication with the financial markets, we strive to convey an accurate, fair and understandable corporate image.

Organisation

The business units form the core of our organisation. We rely on decentralisation and allow each business unit a high level of autonomy. In turn, the business units are responsible for their contribution to the group’s value creation and for their commitment to sustainability. They are combined into business groups, according to strategic business development topics.

Shared operational functions (service areas) are organised in areas in which there are substantial economies of scale or significant advantages from centralised know-how. 

Corporate departments perform specific, company-wide tasks and use common resources. They define general directives and exercise a control function.

The management board approves the strategies of the business units and monitors their implementation. It establishes the overall corporate strategy and presents this to the supervisory board. It approves all key personnel and capital allocation decisions.

The supervisory board is responsible for the overall strategy of the company. It appoints the CEO as well as members of the management board, and it monitors their performance. It ensures that Umicore operates in accordance with the principles of good corporate management.

Business Integrity

Wherever we operate, our reputation is a valuable asset. It is determined by the way we act. We therefore avoid anything that could jeopardise respect for Umicore.

  • We have high standards in respect of business and personal ethics; we abide by our internal principles and comply with all current legislation and regulations in countries where we are active.
  • We support and strive for fair competition and therefore refuse to engage with unlawful discussions or agreements with competitors with respect to pricing and market share or other such activities.
  • We avoid all situations that will result or could potentially result in conflict between Umicore and our personal interests, and we refuse to offer any improper financial advantage in order to obtain an order or other services.
  • We respect and protect all assets of the group, whether tangible or intangible, including all information that is protected by copyright, intellectual property and innovative ideas.
  • We look for business partners whose principles and practices correspond to our views in respect of ethical, social and environmental policy aspects.