The company's crop science work is ranked second place worldwide for crop protection. The seed business is ranked seventh globally and is expected to be further expanded in the future.

"Our business models, whether in healthcare or crop science, have many similarities," Dekkers said.

The similarities include excellent research organization, strong growth and innovative marketing. Bayer is a trendsetter in research-intensive fields, according to Dekkers.

"Our processes begin in the lab and the benefits end up with the customer. We enable doctors to help patients, farmers to help feed the world and veterinarians to help animals. This is all in line with our mission: Bayer: Science for a better life," said the board chairman.

New treatment options

Dekkers listed a number of important pharmaceutical products as examples.

Anticoagulant Xarelto, for instance, helps prevent an estimated two out of every three strokes compared with patients who take no anticoagulant medication. "This not only impacts the patient's life, but that of his or her family," Dekkers said.

New therapies made possible by Bayer products also include improving failing vision that accompanies some eye diseases with Eylea, inhibiting tumor growth in certain types of cancer with Stivarga and Xofigo, and improving the lives of people with certain lung diseases with Adempas.

These five products alone have an annual peak sales potential of at least 7.5 billion euros, according to Dekkers.

"The success of our recent product introductions has created great growth momentum for us," he added.

Bayer's pharmaceutical pipeline currently contains 57 projects, of which 20 are in phase I clinical testing, 19 in phase II and 18 in phase III.

Among these projects are five new, promising active ingredient candidates, which should be ready by 2015 for a decision on advancement to phase III.

Increasing crop yields

Dekkers said that crop science products also made people's lives easier.

For instance, the fungicide Luna supports the safe control of fungal infections in various fruit and vegetable varieties, such as powdery mildew and storage rot.

Adengo, a herbicide for corn, controls several grasses and weeds. Corn is not only indispensable as animal feed but is in many everyday foods on our tables. Innovative herbicides like Adengo are therefore important for feeding the growing global population.

"Like in the pharmaceutical business, new products are also very important in the agricultural business," Dekkers said. During the next few years, the research and development pipeline for crop protection and seeds and traits should produce new market innovations.

Depending on approvals from the regulatory authorities, Dekkers estimated the annual peak sales potential for products introduced to the market between 2011 and 2016 would be a minimum of 4 billion euros.

Human, animal and plant research

In the future, Bayer wants to exploit synergies in the fields of human, animal and plant health, explained Malik.

In the course of evolution, the processes inside living organisms have remained surprisingly similar. One aspect shared by all organisms is that their genetic information is stored in the form of DNA.