Solvay opens new Applications Development lab in Shanghai
Solvay, a producer of chemicals and specialty materials, has officially opened an application development lab (ADL) in Shanghai to expand the global footprint of its research and innovation capabilities.
The opening ceremony of the new lab was attended by Solvay’s Chief Technology Officer Nicolas Cudré-Mauroux and Andrew Lau, Senior Executive Vice President of the company’s Materials global business unit, and Francesco Triulzi, Head of Application Development Labs, Solvay Materials.
Andrew Lau said: “There is an enormously growing demand for new application development in various Chinese key industries, such as automotive, life sciences and electronics. Our new ADL addresses this trend with a significant investment aimed at responding to local market needs faster and with greater proximity to customers than ever, providing tailored high-performance material solutions.”
With a team of some 30 scientists, engineers and technicians, the company says that the Shanghai ADL will be fully equipped to advance custom-tailored application developments using state-of-the-art Solvay technologies.
An Innovation Workshop will aim to coordinate the resources to accelerate the implementation of local solutions through what the company say is ‘world class ‘simulation, prototyping and performance evaluation services, complemented by various dedicated process equipment, such as for 3D printing, extrusion and noise-vibration-harshness (NHV) improvements.
“The new ADL will follow a triple strategy focusing on local-for-local, global-for-local and local-for-global innovation,” explains Nicolas Cudré-Mauroux. “Unique facilities to support these efforts include a semiconductors clean room environment enabling high-purity and high-temperature testing, separation capabilities for hemodialysis and water filtration applications, and a functional and industrial coatings facility.”
Solvay says major local and global end markets expected to benefit from Solvay’s Shanghai based Application Development Lab will be automotive, new energy, life solutions and pharmacy, smart devices and semiconductors.