AkzoNobel inaugurated its new Euro 6.5 million technology center in Songjiang, Shanghai on 26th May 2016. As the company’s largest research facility in China, it will support product innovation and the development of next generation paints, coatings and specialty chemicals.
Equipped with a full array of state-of-the-art material analysis and performance testing facilities, the center currently employs 150 scientists, which is expected to rise to 200 by Year 2020. The majority of the products supported by the new facility will be waterborne and powder based, in line with the company’s ambitions to develop more eco-premium solutions.
“Innovation and locally developed products and solutions are critical to ensuring that we continue to create everyday essentials that make people’s lives more livable and inspiring “said Klaas Kruithof, RD&I Director of AkzoNobel’s Performance Coatings business. “The opening of this new technology center marks another milestone in the company’s organic growth strategy, as we continue to drive our innovation agenda and build a resilient portfolio of more sustainable products.”
AkzoNobel invested a total of Euro347 million in research and development during Year 2015, with a strong focus on sustainability. The company is also looking to increase its revenue from downstream eco-premium solutions to 20 percent of revenue by 2020. In China, this percentage has already reached 30 percent.
“A key strength of our new technology center is that it is focused on all the company’s paints and coatings activities” added Roger Jakeman, RD&I Director of AkzoNobel Decorative Paints. “It offers major advantages in terms of synergies, efficiency benefits and creating additional value for customers.”
Commenting on the inauguration of the new facility-an expansion of an existing AkzoNobel research center in Songjiang-Dr. Lin Liangqi, President of AkzoNobel China and Managing Director of the company’s Decorative Paints business in China and North Asia, made the supplementary comments that China accounts for between 10 and 15 percent of global RD&I investment annually. With Asia, and especially China, upgrading its manufacturing industry protocols, innovative solutions with strong sustainability features will be key to future success. The new center will therefore play a vital role in supporting manufacturing, as well as future markets, such as solar and wind power.”
AkzoNobel has over 7,500 employees in China (including 500 in RD&I), while revenue in China totaled Euro 1.8 billion in 2015. The company operates more than 30 production sites across the country, with RD&I resources allocated to 26 of them to support local customers.
Dongjin Comments:
AkzoNobel is one of our clients. Dulux paint is its famous trademark.
Chinese consumers are gradually changing their concept from the low price to high quality and environment protection. It is also shown that AkzoNobel’s ambition in China market and thus the company picked up its new technology center location in Shanghai.
The Chinese government starts to pay more attention on the environment protection and with the change of Chinese consumer’s concept, we suggest the foreign investor can introduce more high-quality and environment protecting product into the China market.
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Ms. Jojo Hu
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