Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) has opened its state-of-the-art Sabic Technology Center (STC) in Shanghai, built with an initial investment of $100 million.

The centre, one of Sabic’s 17 Sabic global R&D centers of excellence, was inaugurated by Saud bin Abdullah bin Thenayan Al-Saud, chairman of Sabic and chairman of the Royal Commission for Jubail & Yanbu.

Also at the ceremony was Yahya Al Zaid, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to China.

The 60,000 sq m state-of-the-art complex houses close to 500 employees including 170 application development and materials technologists.  In addition, it also serves as the new Greater China head office for all Shanghai-based employees including R&D and supporting functions.

“Sabic is a company grounded in developing material solutions and has innovation, ingenuity and collaboration at its core, helping us to achieve a deeper understanding of our customers and their business. Sabic is committed to being an inclusive growth partner in the markets we operate in.” said Mohamed Al-Mady, vice chairman and CEO, Sabic.

“The new STC in Shanghai will be leading the development for portable consumer electronics, working closely with OEMs across the globe.

“It will also focus on developing next-generation innovative technologies and solutions to help our customers address some of the most pressing issues in China and the region across major industry sectors including construction, clean energy, electrics and electronics, medical devices, transportation. The overall R&D focus at the STC in Shanghai will be on meeting the needs of our customers in the Greater China and North East Asia,” he added.

Ernesto Occhiello, Sabic’s executive vice president, Technology and Innovation, said: “We are gathering some of the best and brightest talent from China to shape the future of our R&D efforts. This center hosts a critical mass of professionals and is an indication of Sabic’s commitment to be the preferred technology partner for our China customers as well as the employer of choice for the best talent.”

Sabic is also continuing to strengthen its technology and innovation leadership in China and the region by deepening its academic partnerships in China. Sabic will sign a new agreement with its partner of almost two years, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP), to research and develop advanced processing technologies to produce chemicals from alternative feedstock.

The centre significantly enhances Sabic’s R&D footprint in Asia, building on the existing infrastructure of its application centers – one in Moka, Japan, and the other in Sungnam, South Korea. – TradeArabia News Service