Aurubis success factors
Empowered by inner strength — yesterday, tomorrow and today
Aurubis stands for multimetal excellence, innovative power, and sustainable value creation. As a fully integrated copper producer with a unique smelter network, a robust business model, and authentic sustainability leadership, we are actively involved in shaping the future. The unique combination of these success factors is what sets us apart. They have been systematically developed over decades and are continuously expanded. This is how Aurubis secures its role as a preferred partner in an increasingly resource-driven world — while staying on course for future success.
Our five success factors
Aurubis has five success factors. Each is important on its own, but it is the combination that sets Aurubis apart. Together these five strengths create our unique selling proposition, secure our resilience, and give us a decisive competitive edge.
Multimetal excellence
Our unique smelter network is the heart of Aurubis’ multimetal excellence. By combining exceptional metallurgical expertise with advanced technology, we achieve benchmark metal recovery rates and create real added value — for customers, suppliers and the environment.
Fully integrated Cu producer
Aurubis is active at every step of the value chain — from raw material to fabricated products. This fully integrated system ensures resilient and reliable supply for our customers and enables us to secure exceptional quality and sustainability standards in all production steps.
Robust and resilient business model
Aurubis maintains a robust financial position by diversifying our business model from copper concentrate processing and recycling material input to exceptional quality production. This broad positioning ensures powerful returns and resilience even in a dynamic market environment.
Authentic leadership in sustainability
Sustainability is embedded in our company strategy. We’re setting standards in energy efficiency, emission reduction, and responsible resource use. Our approach builds trust, creates transparency, and drives the development of sustainable value chains.
Circular solutions with business partners
Together with our business partners, we develop innovative circular solutions to promote the reuse of valuable metals. This secures our long-term raw material supply, strengthens partnerships, and supports our customers on their journey to a carbon-neutral future.
We are a a unique network
At the heart of Aurubis’ multimetal excellence is our fully integrated network of primary and secondary smelters in Europe and North America, which is unique in its scale and capabilities, with the ability to deliver significant value in combination. The close interconnectedness of the sites enables us to process complex material streams flexibly and efficiently — from copper, tin, zinc and nickel to precious metals and a range of other elements and co-products. Using advanced technology and exceptional metallurgical expertise, Aurubis has benchmark metal recovery rates and has reduced waste in production processes to an absolute minimum. Our ability to process even the most complex raw materials gives us a decisive competitive edge and positions us as an innovation leader in multimetal processing. Whether it’s copper for renewable energy or materials for building data centers, we deliver solutions for a wide range of future markets and cover the full metal production spectrum — from processing complex primary resources to recycling challenging input materials.
We are a fully integrated producer
Aurubis is integrated at every step of the value chain, from raw material sourcing through to refining and fabrication of high-quality semi-finished products for further processing. Our integrated smelter network enables us to process a broad range of materials and then responsibly transform them into metals, metal-containing intermediates, and copper products. The integration across the entire value chain creates efficiency and flexibility — since we are independently able to deliver on every step of the value chain with low reliance on third parties, we limit disruptions in the production process and subsequently ensure a reliable supply of metals to feed the high demand of our customers across key industries. In short, our strong position along the value chain protects us from disruptions that may arise from market volatility and geopolitical uncertainty and guarantees a dependable, sustainable supply for our customers.
“For customers, our fully integrated value chain means reliable supply, exceptional quality, and tailored solutions.”
— Martin Sjöberg, Senior Vice President Commercial, Aurubis Hamburg
Robust and resilient business model
Our business model is resilient
Aurubis has strategically developed and continuously adapted its business model to meet evolving market demands for over 160 years now. Financial strength is our rock-solid foundation. With an equity ratio of over 53 % and investments primarily financed through our net cash flow, we promise reliability and foster trust — both for our business partners and for our investors. Strict capital discipline and active portfolio management ensure that every euro creates value. Our earnings are not dependent on the performance of a single product or market. Diversification across industries, products and markets supports long-term growth, regardless of individual economic cycles. Strategic investments in capacity expansion, horizontal expansion into new markets such as the recycling sector in North America, and technological upgrades at our sites with advanced modern plant systems are strengthening our metal recovery over the long term. Aurubis embodies reliability, resilience and the solid foundation for consistently unlocking opportunities.
“We make targeted investments in strategic projects — supported by a strong balance sheet, high operating cash flow, and long-standing partnerships.”
— Eike Looft, Executive Director CapEx Controlling, Aurubis Hamburg
Our advantages
Circular solutions with business partners
We are closing loops
For us, closing loops is about real transformation, not just a trend to follow. We recover complex, metal-bearing materials from industry and consumer waste and convert them into high-quality copper and multimetal products. We are actively shaping the global circular economy with over 150 closing-the-loop partnerships with business partners. Our ability to flexibly process a wide range of recycling materials, from complex industrial and refining residues to micro-quantities, makes us the preferred partner for companies of all sizes. Tailored logistical and financial approaches strengthen collaboration, secure our raw material supply, and support the production of crucial metals for future trends. Our circular solutions are not just ecologically sound and necessary; they create a strategic advantage for Aurubis and our partners.
“Our efficient sampling and analytics, intelligently managed material flows, and growing sourcing network transform the circular economy into a competitive edge.”
— Tobias Kuhm, Executive Director Supply Chain Management, Aurubis Lünen
“We source materials responsibly, minimize environmental impact, use resources efficiently, and take responsibility for the communities in which we operate.”
— Karel Docker, Director Sustainable Operations, Aurubis Olen
Authentic leadership in sustainability
We’re setting standards in sustainability
At Aurubis, sustainability is not an afterthought; it is embedded in our corporate strategy. This is clearly reflected in the comprehensive Copper Mark certifications of our major production sites since 2021. The Copper Mark stands for transparency and ESG compliance, and supports our ambitious decarbonization goals. Our copper cathodes already contain 45 % recycled content on average today, and our products have significantly lower environmental and CO₂ footprints compared to industry averages. This pioneering role builds trust across the entire value chain and ensures long-term demand, making sustainability a source of commercial strength and future viability.
Platinum EcoVadis rating
Aurubis earned the platinum medal from EcoVadis in 2025, scoring 85 out of 100 points and placing the company among the top 1 % of all companies assessed worldwide. A top score in the Environmental theme and significant improvements in Sustainable Procurement and Ethics underscore this impressive performance. The platinum medal is more than a score — it reflects how deeply sustainability is embedded in how we operate.