Who we are

We are one of the world's leading producers of catalysts used in automotive emission systems for light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles. 

Our catalysts perform in many powertrains, including gasoline and diesel engines, natural gas, and alternative fuels. They are increasingly important in engines supporting mild and full hybrid vehicles. Focusing on superior technology, we develop tailor-made solutions with our customers, helping them to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles to meet present and future environmental legislation requirements.

Our story in the clean mobility sector began with the 1950 invention of the automotive catalyst, followed by our first commercial successes and production expansion across Europe and North America in 1973. Through the strategic acquisition of Degussa’s catalyst business in 2003 and Delphi’s activities in 2007, we established ourselves as a global top three players. Today, supported by a vast network of R&D centers and plants from Germany to China, we have successfully brought millions of catalysts to the global market. The number of vehicles has been growing enormously. Today there are more than one billion vehicles on the world’s roads, with more than 80 million vehicles produced every year.

Global air quality legislation and fuel standards serve as the primary (stimulus or similar word) for innovation in automotive emission control and system design. Umicore began producing automotive catalysts in 1974 and has consistently led the industry by developing advanced technologies to meet evolving worldwide regulations for internal combustion engines and greenhouse gases.

Umicore develops and manufactures a broad range of products including three-way catalysts (TWC) and particulate filters (cGPF) for gasoline engines, diesel oxidation catalysts (DOC), and particulate filters (DPF) for diesel cars, also NOx (Nitrogen oxides) and SCR (selective catalytic reduction) catalysts. In addition, we make catalysts for heavy-duty diesel (HDD) vehicles like buses, trucks, motorcycles, and small engine applications.

In close collaboration with our customers, our chemists, engineers and researchers constantly develop new products which enable our clients to build cars with a cleaner exhaust in compliance with the most stringent emission legislations.

All our products are tested under rigorous conditions to have the best possible level of performance, converting as many pollutants as possible into harmless gases.

Our business model

At Umicore Automotive Catalysts we develop technologies that allow our customers to meet automotive emission legislation at the lowest Total Cost of Ownership. Umicore Automotive Catalysts is one of the top three producers worldwide.

Our strengths:

• Complete catalyst systems to reduce exhaust gas emissions
• Customer focus
• People engagement
• Operational excellence
• Global manufacturing and technical footprint

We have multiple sites worldwide