Oct 5 2005
Dow Corning Corporation has expanded its Application Center in Shanghai, China, doubling the company’s ability to provide innovative solutions for customers in Asia. The expansion increases Dow Corning’s ability to support joint customer research on new product applications, formulations and analytical testing and gives local companies greater access to Dow Corning’s technical professionals and expertise.
Located in the Songjiang Industrial Zone, the expanded center adds another 2,500 square meters of space for laboratories and equipment. As part of the expansion, Dow Corning will hire several dozen additional chemists, chemical engineers and analytical scientists at the center over the next three years.
“This expansion strengthens our leadership position in Asia, enhancing our ability to provide state-of-the-art innovations and customized solutions to customers throughout the region,” said Ian Thackwray, president of Dow Corning Asia. “Demand for silicones in Asia – and specifically in China – continues to climb. The Application Center enables Dow Corning to meet this growing demand with solutions that will help our Asian customers be more competitive at home and around the globe.
“Our continued investment in the China Application Center is part of our global program to provide technology, products and solutions for customers in the region,” Thackwray said. “The extension also underscores our commitment to provide innovative solutions that support our Asia-based customers’ needs exactly.”
In addition to partnering with customers, Dow Corning plans to collaborate with local academic societies and universities to develop new product applications and technologies, Thackwray added.
Dow Corning opened the China Application Center in 2002 as part of its ongoing initiative to strengthen customer collaborations in China and around the globe. Dow Corning invests six to seven percent of annual sales in research and development, far exceeding the industry average. These investments fortify the company’s ability to collaborate and provide product applications and development advice to customers, who see this as a major strength of Dow Corning globally.
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