Clariant is expanding its global R&D activities by building the Clariant Innovation Center at the company's site in Frankfurt, Germany. The 23,000-square-foot facility is expected to be completed by the end of 2012 and reportedly will create 500 jobs.
The planned center will be located in the Höchst Industrial Park in Frankfurt and represents an investment of more than €50 million. It will closely cooperate with all of the R&D satellite sites in Gendorf, Germany; Lamotte, France; and Suzano, Brazil; as well as the 40 application centers around the globe. The company invested more 130 million Swiss francs in R&D in 2010.
"The goal is to establish Clariant as an innovation leader in the field of specialty chemicals within the next few years,” said Hariolf Kottmann, CEO of Clariant AG. The new center features an open architectural office and laboratory concept that combines chemical R&D activities, which belong to the group technology services structure, with application-oriented laboratories and technical marketing functions of several business units.
Besides chemical analysis, the new building also will host the new business development and intellectual property management units, as well as the patent department. Combining different disciplines reportedly will allow Clariant to further expand its R&D pipeline and strengthen its innovation power.
