Clariant Opens One Clariant Campus in Shanghai

Clariant, a focused, sustainable and innovative specialty chemicals company, has announced the official opening of the One Clariant Campus in Shanghai, China. Spanning approximately 24,000 m² of total floor area, the Campus will house Clariant's Greater China Operational Center and China Innovation Center. Clariant CEO Conrad Keijzer said: "One Clariant Campus is an important milestone for our dedicated China strategy. By positioning our teams under one roof in our China organization and providing them with state-of-the-art equipment in the Clariant Innovation Center China, we are enhancing their ability to innovate and exchange views on market trends and customer needs. As a result, One Clariant Campus will be a powerful driving force to further strengthen our market position in China and beyond." [caption id="attachment_123794" align="aligncenter"] One Clariant Campus in Shanghai is developing the company's local innovation capabilities and in turn revitalizing growth capabilities in China. (Photo source: Clariant)[/caption]   The China market represented 10% of Clariant's sales in 2020, reaching a total of CHF 402 million. As the world's largest chemicals market overall, the company is pursuing a deliberate strategy to become a true "China Insider" by promoting five key local elements to increase its share in the China market and the specialty chemicals market: insight, competitiveness, empowerment, innovation and partnership. To achieve this, Clariant is making significant investments in China. In addition to CHF 45 million invested in the Campus, Clariant recently announced the construction of a new CATOFIN ® catalyst production facility in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, and the upcoming opening of a joint venture facility with Tiangang Auxiliary in Cangzhou, Hebei Province.   Clariant Chief Technology Officer Martin Vollmer said: "As an integral part of One Clariant Campus, the new innovation center will enhance Clariant's research and development capabilities in China. While new facilities will significantly expand the capabilities of our own teams, we will strengthen our collaboration with key local customers and key suppliers by inviting them to come together at our center for joint development of next-generation products. Supported by additional collaboration with academic partners and other industrial partners, the center will be the beating heart of our innovation efforts in China."   Located in the XinZhuang Industrial Park in Shanghai, One Clariant Campus encompasses a total area of approximately 24,000 m², consisting of slightly more than 13,000 m² of laboratory space and close to 11,000 m² of office and conference center space. It serves as the main office location for approximately 350 employees. Sustainable building design has been an important element in the construction of the Campus. This commitment has been validated by the Campus receiving a LEED Gold certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, the world's most widely used green building rating system) and Green Building Label (China's highest Green Building Certificate).   Andy Walti, President of Clariant China and Asia-Pacific Region, said: "With this investment, Clariant demonstrates its long-term commitment to China and increases its focus on its three most important priorities: customer experience, innovation and footprint expansion. Under the roof of One Clariant Campus, we will accelerate our processes and increase our ability to meet the specific needs of our Chinese customers with innovative and sustainable Clariant solutions."