DuPont will build a $10 million laboratory in Japan to facilitate technical approvals for automotive coatings used by Japanese auto manufacturers worldwide and to support in-country assembly operations. The new facility, in Aichi Prefecture, will open in the third quarter of 2005 and will employ approximately 30 scientists.
“This new laboratory supplements the extensive network of DuPont technical facilities located in the Americas, Asia and Europe that serve our growing coatings business with Japanese auto manufacturers,” said Marty M. McQuade, vice president and general manager for DuPont Automotive Systems. “Our focus is on developing and harmonizing the latest coatings technology worldwide to meet the most demanding requirements for vehicle aesthetics and durability along with more environmentally friendly manufacturing.”
The laboratory will be established by DuPont and operated by DuPont Shinto Automotive Systems, a joint venture with Shinto Paint Company.