R&D CARBON: A SUCCESS
STORY SINCE 1986
After 20 years of successful development work in the field of carbon materials at Swiss Aluminium Ltd. (Alusuisse), Werner K. Fischer started his own business in 1986. He took over carbon materials development projects from Alusuisse, which had decided to abandon this sector. He had a clear vision of what the industry needed: an ever better understanding of how electrode quality depends on raw material properties and process parameters.
He built a technology center in Sierre, Switzerland, where employees of Alusuisse’s former carbon research group found a new workplace. Together with Dr. Ulrich Mannweiler, also a former Alusuisse man who joined R&D Carbon in 1988, he set up a new strategy which is still valid today.
R&D Carbon established five distinct areas of activity, each having its clear role:
Its headquarters in Granges (Sierre), Switzerland employs 30 engineers and skilled technical staff. They serve more than 150 customers worldwide and maintain an excellent network with technology and trading companies. Collaboration with well-known business development companies leads to new businesses around the globe.
From 2010 to 2020, R&D Carbon's operations were managed by Werner's son, Jean-Claude Fischer. In January 2021, Matthieu Arlettaz was appointed as the new CEO of R&D Carbon.
