Sustainability, Leadership, and Strategic Evolution at Knauer

LCGC International spoke to Alexandra Knauer and Carsten Losch, managing directors of Knauer, about the company’s sustainability measures, strategic developments, and AI adoption. They discuss organizational roles, gender representation efforts, and corporate culture, alongside their future plans for biopharma workflows, oligonucleotide synthesis, and open software solutions.

Knauer has long been a champion of sustainability, actively pursuing ACT Ecolabel certification and integrating sustainability into its product design. What is your long-term sustainability roadmap—do you envision becoming a fully carbon-neutral instrument maker?

Alexandra Knauer: In the Summer of 2025, we applied for the well-known “German Sustainability Award” for the first time. We were very happy when we found out that we are nominated for the award with our Azura Analytical (U)HPLC 862 bar System in the category “Resources”. In the eyes of the assessment team, we are among the pioneers of transformation in this field.

The ACT Ecolabel certification demonstrates that we have achieved exceptionally good results compared to other HPLC manufacturers from different countries. It indicates that we are on a good path, and we intend to pursue it out of conviction. We are currently installing 376 solar panels on two of the production building’s large facades, in addition to the existing panels on the roof. We think that it makes a lot of sense to move away from fossil energies and to engage in circularity or biodiversity. Up to now, we have not really been convinced by the somewhat uncertain compensation calculations. However, compensation or funding for carbon capture is necessary to achieve carbon neutrality.

How do you weigh sustainability against customer demands for performance, cost, and speed? For example, when choosing greener materials or more efficient manufacturing processes.

AK: There are indeed challenges, and we cannot compromise when it comes to quality. This also applies to packaging. New materials should not smell bad or crumble. We are ready to pay more for environmentally friendlier alternatives, but they must always be tested thoroughly before implementation. The R&D team reports on every project about the sustainability improvements concerning materials, weight, or energy consumption.

With our high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) systems, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can be analyzed in the environment. Due to their chemical resistance, they are also a commonly used material in laboratories. We have a special project concerning the reduction of PFAS used to produce our systems. We determined where we use PFAS materials and how many kilograms go into production per year, and we plan to reduce our overall consumption by 25% by redesigning, for example, the caps on our solvent bottles.

We haven't seen many company acquisitions by Knauer. Does Labomatic mark a change in strategy?

Carsten Losch: As a family business, we tend to grow organically and cooperate whenever possible. Acquisitions depend on the size of the partners and, of course, on whether it's a good fit. With Labomatic, it was just a perfect fit.

As laboratory instruments become more “smart”, how is Knauer embracing AI, ML, and digitalization?

CL: At Knauer, we approach artificial intelligence (AI) from a customer-centric perspective. Instead of asking how we can use AI, we focus on what our customers truly need. If a solution that benefits them involves AI, we evaluate how it can be integrated into our products in a meaningful and responsible way.

In highly regulated fields such as the pharmaceutical sector, AI can only be used under strict conditions, especially when external servers or cloud-based systems are involved. This places clear limits on where AI can be deployed today. For that reason, we expect that widespread AI integration into customer-facing software will take more time. It is also essential for us that all our systems remain fully functional without AI, ensuring an opt-out option for every user.

Internally, however, we already leverage AI extensively. We use it across marketing, commercial processes, and development work. This ranges from contract review and quality checks to accelerating application development, including new approaches such as vibe coding.

How do you complement each other in your leadership roles? What are your respective areas of accountability?

AK: My parents, Roswitha and Herbert, founded the company 63 years ago, and they were always a great team. I enjoy working with Carsten Losch very much, and I admire his expertise in so many fields. I know I can go on holiday and will not have to keep an eye on my emails! In addition, we have a great team of about 200 experts in their fields. Carsten is responsible for our big R&D department, international sales and marketing, product management, customized solutions, technical services, and documentation.

CL: Alexandra studied business and is responsible for production and assembly, logistics, purchasing, quality, compliance, accounting, and HR. In addition, she passes on her wealth of experience as she is engaged in a number of committees, boards of trustees, or supervisory boards for Berlin institutions on an honorary basis.

Alexandra, as a woman leading a STEM company, what barriers do you still see for women in science and engineering careers, and how is Knauer working to lower them?

AK: According to Germany’s Federal Statistical Office, women accounted for 18% of research and development staff in 2023. Many German universities report that the proportion of women graduating in these fields is significantly higher, at over 30%. This means that a considerable number of women do not enter their chosen profession at all.

We actively strive to achieve a gender balance because we are convinced that this is better for our creativity and team culture. Knauer has achieved a female representation of 37% in STEM professions.

Knauer has recently been honored as a “top employer” in Germany, and a 2023 report showed a minimal gender pay gap—with women earning slightly more. You’ve also actively supported initiatives like the Charter of Diversity. How do you ensure this commitment is sustained, and do you see pay transparency as a driver for attracting top global talent?

AK: We believe it is perfect if there is a 50:50 split in the executive board room. With such a constellation and fair payment, a company’s gender pay gap can be minimal. Pay transparency is not yet common in Germany. The salary level is usually not posted in job advertisements. Transparency may be a challenge, as the assessment of what constitutes a fair salary can be viewed very differently by different people.

We appreciate having a mix of different backgrounds at Knauer, with team members originating from 28 countries. We held a big “culture conference” in July, in which everyone was asked what they liked about Knauer and what they would like to change. Additional team workshops and workshops focusing on selected topics take place regularly, helping to ensure that improvements can be initiated.

Looking 5–10 years ahead, what future plans do you have for Knauer?

CL: Over recent years, Knauer has evolved from a chromatography-focused company into a true life science solution provider. We are now deeply exploring biopharma and life science workflows to understand where we can deliver complete, end-to-end solutions for our customers.

Our next major milestone will be the launch of our oligonucleotide synthesizer at Analytica 2026. This system focuses on the precise and reliable production of oligos. The subsequent steps—purification and encapsulation—can then be performed using other Knauer solutions, enabling customers to run the entire workflow seamlessly within one integrated ecosystem. This gives users a complete, end-to-end process from synthesis to finished material, all supported by a single technology partner.

Another key area of focus is software. In the coming years, we aim to introduce a truly open, multi-vendor software solution that is accessible across different systems and offered at a fair price. This software will stand on its own merits, not as a mechanism to lock customers into our instruments. We believe this approach will mark a real breakthrough for the industry and shift the market from vendor-restricted platforms toward a more open, user-friendly experience.

Internally, we will continue to streamline our processes and workflows. In 2024, we transitioned to a new ERP system, Odoo, which already provides significant advantages over our previous system, BIOS 2000. With Odoo, we can manage all internal operations within a single platform. This means that ERP and CRM processes, as well as our website and online shop, all run through one unified solution.

Using intelligent software allows us to operate as efficiently as possible. That efficiency enables us to offer attractive prices and support our community in a meaningful way. It’s important to remember that many of our customers are working on life-saving products, and we want to ensure that the tools scientists and engineers rely on to develop new medicines are accessible to as many people as possible.

Alexandra Knauer completed her studies in business administration at the Free University of Berlin in 1994. Since 1995, she has worked alongside her father as managing director of Knauer. In 2000, she became the sole managing director and owner. She is committed to sustainable and responsible corporate management with a focus on the users of her products, the 190 employees, and society. In 2018, her company signed the UN Global Compact's sustainability commitment and joined the DIHK's Biodiversity Alliance in 2024. Her volunteer activities include patronage of the Berlin women entrepreneurs' network Connecting Women, membership on the supervisory board of Charité CFM, membership on the board of trustees of the Berlin University of Applied Sciences (BHT), and several other honorary positions.

Carsten Losch is trained as a chemical laboratory technician (Deutsche Steinkohle AG), technical business economist (WA), and master of science in sales and marketing. After five years as a laboratory technician for trace analysis HPLC/GC, he worked in sales at Macherey-Nagel AG, ELGA LabWater, and Dionex GmbH. In 2011, he joined Knauer Wissenschaftliche Geräte GmbH, initially in field sales. In 2013, he became team leader, and two years later, he was named head of worldwide sales. In April 2021, he became managing director alongside Alexandra Knauer.