Specialty chemicals company LANXESS achieved another milestone in the construction of its new Asia Pacific Application Development Center (AADC) as the building was handed over to the company on December 15. Following the groundbreaking ceremony in July, this important step ensures that the project can proceed on schedule.

Starting only in January, the speed of progress is remarkable. Although facing various challenges posed by the ultra-long rainy season this year, the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP) construction team has successfully completed a series of measures such as the optimization of construction plans and adjustments to construction equipment.

Ming Cheng Chien, President of the LANXESS Asia-Pacific Region, says: “Our smooth progress is also based on the excellent cooperation we have with our partner SCIP, China’s first-ranked chemical park. As the first company to settle-in at Shanghai International Chemical New Materials Innovation Center, LANXESS is taking an important step in developing the company’s future growth potential in the largest chemical market in the world.”

With local innovation already making up a large share of new business in China, the AADC will further strengthen the company’s capabilities to answer the increasing need for localized product grades. After moving-in construction and installation, the AADC is slated to be officially opened by mid-2021.

In September 2019, LANXESS signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with SCIP. Two months later, the company announced the plan to establish an integrated application development center to strengthen its innovation capabilities in China and the Asia-Pacific region. In March 2020, LANXESS announced that the AADC would be located in SCIP.