Arkema Celebrates a Double Anniversary in China

On Sept. 6, 2023, Arkema celebrated the 25th anniversary of its Changshu site and the 10th anniversary of its Changshu R&D Center. As one of the group’s largest industrial platforms in the world and the largest R&D center in Asia, the Changshu site and Changshu R&D Center have adopted the principles of open innovation and localization since inception. This has greatly contributed to the group’s business growth alongside bolstering the development of cutting-edge technologies in China and Asia.

The double anniversary was joined by Zhou Qindi, party secretary of the Changshu Municipal Committee; Qin Meng, mayor of Changshu; Joan Valadou, consul general of France in Shanghai; Erwoan Pezron, SVP of Arkema’s High Performance Polymers; Laurent Tellier, SVP of Arkema’s Performance Additives; Armand Ajdari, Arkema’s CTO; and Julie Xiaoyu Zhang, president of Arkema Greater China. Arkema’s key customers and partners as well as media and employees were also present.

Qindi congratulated Arkema’s Changshu Site and R&D Center for their progress and achievements over the years. As development in innovative materials accelerates, he hopes Changshu’s partnership with the group will continue to flourish so they can together capture even greater opportunities in the field.

Valadou acknowledged that China and France have established a long history of extensive and long-term cooperation in the advanced materials field. He believes Arkema’s development in China over the past decades offers a blueprint that could encourage further exchanges and interactions across innovation and sustainability between the two countries.

“The Chinese market is one of the most dynamic economies in the world and occupies a crucial position in the group’s growth strategy and Arkema China generates 15% of the Group’s sales in 2022. We are confident about the market’s prospects and remain steadfast in realizing our local ambitions,” Zhang said.

“The way Changshu site and Changshu R&D Center developed over the years truly reflect Arkema’s 40-years of history and commitment to the Chinese market. Sitting at the heart of this from the beginning is the group’s sustainable development strategy,” Zhang added. “With the collective support and efforts of the local government, clients, partners, and China team, we have grown from strength to strength. As we look ahead, our aim is to continue taking big strides forward and facilitating the development of high-quality, sustainability, and innovation.”

Located in the Jiangsu Province’s Changshu Advanced Materials Industrial Park, Changshu site integrates production, R&D, and a regional shared service center, with around €600 million capex invested.

Since its construction in 1998, Changshu site has been investing and upgrading, as well as encouraging talent development. It has approximately 1,000 employees and is today recognized across a number of high-growth potential areas, including lithium batteries, clean energy, more environmentally friendly coatings, building energy efficiency, sports and consumer electronics.

In recent years, Changshu Site has served as a bridge connecting the Arkema Group with the China market and continues to accompany local industries through a number of areas including value creation, talent cultivation, and social responsibility.

Open Innovation for Sustainable Development

Established in 2013, Changshu R&D Center has since become Arkema’s largest R&D center in Asia. It is a hub that brings together and cultivates a well-established technical team.

This year, the R&D Center’s laboratory has successfully obtained the Laboratory Accreditation Certificate issued by the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS), further confirming its professional capabilities.

As China’s 1+N policy and the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality policies become increasingly established, clean energy, such as lithium battery, wind power, photovoltaic and hydrogen energy, will continue to develop and accelerate.