Clariant opens Chinese HQ and innovation center in Shanghai
Swiss specialty chemical company Clariant announced the official opening of its One Clariant Campus in Shanghai, China. Across a total floor space of approximately 24,000 m2, the campus will be home to Clariant’s Greater China Operational Headquarters as well as the Innovation Center China.
“The One Clariant Campus is an important milestone for our dedicated China strategy. By locating our teams in the China organization under one roof and providing them with state of the art equipment in the Clariant Innovation Center China, we increase their ability to innovate and to exchange insights on market trends and customer needs. As a result, the One Clariant Campus will be a strong driver to further strengthen our market position in China and beyond,” said Conrad Keijzer, CEO of Clariant.
The Chinese market represented 10% of Clariant’s sales in 2020, totaling CHF402 million (USD 434 million). In order to increase its share of the Chinese market, the world’s largest chemicals market overall as well as for specialty chemicals, the company pursues a dedicated strategy of becoming a true “China Insider” by fostering five key local elements: insight, competitiveness, empowerment, innovation and partnering. To achieve this, Clariant invests significantly in China. In addition to the CHF45 million (USD48 million) invested in the campus, Clariant recently announced the construction of a new Catofin™ catalysts production facility in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, and its joint venture facility with Tiangang Auxiliary in Cangzhou, Hebei province, is opening soon.
“As an integral part of the One Clariant Campus, the new innovation center will foster Clariant’s research and development capabilities in China. While the new facilities will greatly enhance the abilities of our own teams, we will also step up our cooperation with local key customers and key suppliers by inviting them to co-locate in our center for the joint development of next generation
products. Supported by additional cooperation with academic partners and other industrial partners, the center will be the beating heart of our innovation efforts in China,” said Martin Vollmer, Clariant’s chief technology officer.
Located in Shanghai’s XinZhuang Industrial Park, the One Clariant Campus spans a total of approximately 24,000 m2, consisting of slightly more than 13,000 m2 lab area and close to 11,000 m2 of office & conference center. It serves as the principal office location for some 350 employees. Sustainable building design was an important element in the construction of the Campus. The campus has been awarded a LEED Gold certificate (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, the most widely used green building rating system in the world) as well as the Green Building Label (highest Chinese Green Building Certification).
“With this investment, Clariant shows its long term commitment to China and increases its focus on all three top priorities, namely customer experience, innovation drive and footprint enlargement. Under the roof of the One Clariant Campus, we will speed up our processes and increase our abilities to fulfill the specific needs of our Chinese customers with innovative and sustainable Clariant solutions,” said Andy Walti, head of Clariant Region China and Asia-Pacific.
