Swiss specialty chemicals company Clariant will increase its investment and operations in China in the next two years as it taps China's environmental protection needs.
Clariant, with headquarters for its China operations in Shanghai, plans to build an integrated facility, "one Clariant campus," to support innovation, research and development, sales and marketing. Construction of the campus, which will employ 500 staff, is due to kick off at the end of this year, with operations starting in 2018.
"Our investment in China will account for 40 percent of the total in 2017," Christian Kohlpaintner, member of executive committee of Clariant International Ltd, said yesterday.
"The one Clariant campus is critical as it is one of our largest research and supply centers to boost our innovation in global markets."
China's green economy has contributed 11 percent of Clariant's revenue totaling 640 million Swiss francs ($659 million) last year.
The group also estimated that by 2020, China would be the main engine contributing 60 percent of global growth in the chemical industry.
Clariant also unveiled two plastic material products at the 30th International Exhibition on Plastics and Rubber Industries, also known as Chinaplas 2016, to support China's flexible packaging film industry. The four-day exhibition in Shanghai ends today.
By cooperating with local original equipment manufacturers, Clariant has spread its business in China into packaging, automotive and electronic equipment sectors.
