Solvay opens new Application Development Laboratory in China
State-of-the-art facility responds to growing customer demand for tailored solutions with high-performance materials in China.
The opening ceremony of the new lab on May 12, 2023, 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, as well as Francesco Triulzi, head of application development Labs, Solvay Materials. Photo Credit: Solvay
Solvay (Brussels, Belgium), a global specialty materials company, has officially opened another application development lab (ADL) in Shanghai, China, to expand the global footprint of its research and innovation capabilities. Currently the ADL focuses on polymer applications, the company told CW, but there are a few capabilities such as virtual engineering that can serve composite applications as well.
“There is an enormously growing demand for new application development in various Chinese key industries, such as automotive, life sciences and electronics,” states Andrew Lau, senior executive vice president of the company’s Materials global business unit. “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 highly qualified and experienced scientists, engineers and technicians, the Shanghai ADL will be fully equipped to advance custom-tailored application developments using state-of-the-art Solvay technologies. An Innovation Workshop will coordinate the resources to accelerate the implementation of local solutions through world-class simulation, prototyping and performance evaluation services, complemented by various dedicated process equipment, such as for 3D printing, extrusion and noise, vibration and 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, Solvay’s chief technology officer. “Unique facilities to support these efforts include a semiconductors cleanroom environment enabling high-purity and high-temperature testing, separation capabilities for hemodialysis and water filtration applications, and a functional and industrial coatings facility.”
Local and global end markets expected to benefit from Solvay’s Shanghai-based ADL will be automotive, new energy, life solutions and pharmacy, smart devices and semiconductors.
