ESA is the pan-European space agency, and its mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capabilities. All member states work closely together and share financial and scientific resources to achieve the best possible results. Discoveries made by ESA scientists lead to practical applications on Earth and in space. ESA engineers are pushing the boundaries of what is possible to find technical solutions and innovations that can survive in the inhospitable environment of space and, subsequently, be used by companies on Earth.

As a central unit, RIT does not work from an ivory tower, but rather via five technology platforms that serve as research bases, so to speak, for the multi-tasking team. It also has two central laboratories, colouristics and three chemicals units. RIT's network extends deep into the company: Into process engineering, process development, production and procurement. "We perform cross-functional roles that are quite unique ," says Thomas Rhönisch, Head of Product at RIT.

This is carried out with The REHAU promise "Engineering progress." With the motto "Enhancing Lives," we want to invent things today that our customers need tomorrow." This is the mission - and to fulfil it, RIT combines key strengths such as material, product, process and business model expertise while promoting cross-divisional know-how and technology transfer. It is an international team with around 100 employees working together with internal and external network partners. They bring solutions together as skillfully as possible in order to create new opportunities for various business areas. Today, RIT is involved in more than 50% of the innovation projects at REHAU.

Our future is not in outer space, but in the world of our customers. Our mission is to constantly adapt to the needs of a changing world and translate changing customer needs into exciting new products to be at the forefront of our respective industries. Process innovations such as the additive manufacturing process for large-volume uPVC components show how cross-divisional cooperation can succeed and create a competitive edge.