Will cooperate on sustainable and cost-effective solutions

Bayer MaterialScience and Asklepios Kliniken have announced setting up a cooperation project to implement environmentally friendly solutions in hospitals and healthcare facilities. As part of this collaboration, the EcoCommercial Building Initiative established by Bayer MaterialScience, will support the hospital operator’s ‘Green Hospital’ programme in achieving sustainable development in its healthcare facilities, the announcement said.

Bayer MaterialScience reportedly runs the EcoCommercial Building programme in cooperation with selected companies and service providers with the aim of promoting the development, renovation and construction of energy-efficient and cost-effective industrial and office buildings. This principle of sustainable construction has now been transferred to hospitals, the announcement elaborated.

The Asklepios programme is said to pursue a holistic approach that regards environmental performance, energy consumption and the comfort of patients as equally important. It can be applied to both new and existing hospital buildings, it said.

According to Bayer MaterialScience, during the current first stage of the collaboration with Asklepios, member companies of the EcoCommercial Building programme run by it (Bayer) are developing a hygienic and yet robust floor coating for the hospitals. It is simple to apply, cures quickly and is easy to clean, claimed Bayer.

“The main focus in healthcare is on cost-efficiency, sustainability and quality for patients,” said Dr Tobias Kaltenbach, Chairman of Corporate Management of Asklepios Kliniken, commenting on the programme. “Hospital buildings are among the most energy-intensive of all facilities. Our approach to improving energy and cost efficiency is to establish collaborations with experienced partners in the field of sustainable construction.”

Peter Warmbier, Head of Marketing and Business Development at Bayer MaterialScience’s Coatings, Adhesives, Specialties segment for the Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA) Region, added: “High-performance materials used during the construction and renovation of hospitals have a major impact on patient health, environmental performance and costs. High-performance floor coatings in particular enable us to raise standards in hygiene and comfort. What’s more, hospitals can also benefit from the comprehensive expertise offered by other members of the EcoCommercial Building programme.”

Hailing the Green Hospital programme a pioneering healthcare project, Dr Thomas Braig, Head of the EcoCommercial Building programme in the EMEA Region, said that the collaboration was further evidence of its network’s flexibility for sustainable construction.

Explaining the global EcoCommercial Building programme, Bayer MaterialScience said that it was part of the Bayer Climate Programme, which offered  decision-makers in the construction industry a portfolio of services and material solutions for energy-efficient and cost-effective building. The portfolio ranged from financing to energy efficiency assessments and concrete measures, such as building insulation, glazing and coatings, said Bayer. The initiative also offered solutions that harnessed energy from renewable sources, with other offerings, including acoustic wall elements for sound systems or noise reduction and developments aimed at improving the indoor climate in healthcare buildings, it added.