Clariant Unveils New Operational HQ and Innovation Center

Specialty chemicals firm Clariant officially opened its new One Clariant Campus in Shanghai, China Thursday, the company announced. The new, 24,000-sq-m site will house its operational headquarters and an innovation center to support customers in the country.

“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,” said Conrad Keijzer, the firm’s CEO, in a release. “As a result, the One Clariant Campus will be a strong driver to further strengthen our market position in China and beyond.”

Clariant invested CHF 45 million, or about $48 million, to open the new complex in Shanghai. In 2020, the Chinese market accounted for 10% of the chemical makers’ sales. The company is actively investing in the country as part of its strategy to become a “China Insider” and strengthen its position in the world’s largest specialty chemical market.

“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 collaboration with local key customers and key suppliers by inviting them to co-locate in our center for the joint development of next generation products,” said Clariant’s chief technology officer, Martin Vollmer, in a statement. “Supported by additional cooperation with academic partners and other industrial partners, the center will be the beating heart of our innovation efforts in China.”

The campus, built in the XinZhuang Industrial Park, includes a 13,000-sq-m laboratory area, 11,000-sq-m of office space and a conference center. About 350 employees will work at the site.

In September 2020, Powder & Bulk Solids reported that Clariant launched a project for a new catalyst production facility in Jiaxing, China to support the country’s propane dehydrogenation market and petrochemical industry.