Mr. Römlein, please introduce the intelligent fluids GmbH, our new cluster member and your innovative technology to the readership.

Intelligent fluids is a young deep tech company developing and producing sustainable, water-based high-performance fluids for industrial cleaning applications. Our cleaning fluids work physically instead of chemically through a “micro earthquake effect” and therefore offer customers considerable economic and ecological advantages. Main applications are the removal of dirt/residues, lacquers/paints/inks, adhesives and of fats/oils. Target markets are all maintenance-intensive industries, as well as microelectronics and the oil & gas industry. Intelligent fluids support 10 of the 17 sustainability goals of the United Nations and are able to replace globally aggressive and harmful solvents such as ACETONE, NMP, EKC, DMSO etc.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people’s awareness towards the cleanliness of surfaces has increased. Can the technology of intelligent fluids also be/become an adequate means in the fight against viruses?

As intelligent fluids are surfactant based, they are certainly very effective in the fight against viruses, especially against enveloped viruses such as COVID-19. Surfactants effectively destroy the envelope of the virus and in this way inactivate it. The innovative hand cleanser is one of the outstanding products, which not only shows a unique cleaning performance, but is also pH-neutral, moisturizing, dermatologically gentle, biodegradable and can also be used without water. A product that can industrially and commercially replace the widespread abrasive hand washing pastes.

How do you see the development of intelligent fluids in the coming years and how do you classify membership in the Chemie-Cluster Bayern?

In the following years we expect intelligent fluids to see strong sales growth. This anticipation is supported by the enormous sustainability trend in combination with further tightening of chemical law, the planned internationalization, the focus on volume applications in microelectronics, oil & gas, maintenance, and the fact that there are hardly any product alternatives on the market to the aggressive solvents. Within the network of Chemie-Cluster Bayern there are some very interesting members who can be considered possible customers, sales partners or investors/shareholders and can thus accelerate the development towards sustainable cleaning chemicals.

Christian Römlein is an impact intrapreneur with more than 30 years of experience in building innovative companies on an international level. After completing his degree in business administration, he continued his education as an executive MBA. Christian Römlein is a volunteer senator h.c. of the Federal Association of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (BVMW) and Vice President of the SME Alliance Africa.