Calling all Innovators

The Company has declared 2006 to be the "Year of Innovation". Currently, Henkel earns every fourth euro through new products launched over the past three years. Last year, Henkel brought 22 potentially best-selling innovative products onto the market. By 2007, the company wants to be generating 30% of its sales through new products and to establish itself in the years to come as the ‘Innovation Leader' in its global markets.

To achieve this goal, Henkel also works with external partners to strengthen internal innovative processes. With the Henkel Innovation Trophy, the company taps into the minds of creative external talents in order to bring new products to market faster, better and smarter. It offers independent inventors an easy-to-handle online platform to submit granted patents, published patent applications, design patents or utility models. The ideas should relate to the four business units of Henkel: Laundry & Home, Cosmetics / Toiletries, Consumer and Craftsmen Adhesives and Henkel Technologies, which include industrial, transportation and metal. Entries will be submitted through Henkel´s website at www.henkel.com and henkelusa.com or via mail. Each submission will be screened and evaluated by an expert panel of judges for their fit to Henkel's business and technical strategies, their level of innovation and their ability to meet consumer needs. At the occasion of an outstanding Award Ceremony, the top winners will receive attractive cash prizes. Furthermore, the best submissions will be reviewed by Henkel managers to evaluate future business opportunities with the inventor.

The Henkel Innovation Trophy is carried out in cooperation with a number of Inventor associations all over the world - e.g. the Deutscher Erfinder Verband (DEV) and the United Inventors Association (UIA). The submission phase starts on December 15 and goes on through the end of April 2007. Entry forms and additional information can be obtained at www.henkel.com or www.henkelusa.com.