Munich, Germany-based chemical group Wacker Chemie AG has opened its new silicones research and development (R&D) centre in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the US that is dedicated to support its overall business and product development in North America.
The group’s new silicones R&D centre is located at the co-work campus of the Michigan Innovation Headquarters (MI-HQ) in Ann Arbor. It consists of labs for R&D and analytics, and offers state-of-the-art lab environment for the development of new products dedicated to customers in the Americas.
They will be operated by Wacker Chemical Corporation (WCC), Wacker’s Adrian, Michigan-based subsidiary for North and Central America and the North Andean region of South America, and staffed with highly specialised experts in the field of silicone and polymer chemistry. Investments for equipment and interior construction measures were in the single digit million US dollar range.
At the opening ceremony of the facility on June 13, David Wilhoit, Wacker Chemical Corporation President & CEO, pointed out the major significance of the new R&D centre for Wacker. “We have completed the necessary preparation work and installation of equipment for several labs focusing on research and development. Right from the start we are engaged in projects involving health and medical care, paints and coatings, electronics and personal care products, all of which are key industry growth segments, particularly for silicone-based chemistry,”Wilhoit explained.
According to Axel Schmidt, Wacker Chemical Corporation Vice President – Division Silicones, locating the Silicones R&D Center in Ann Arbor complements Wacker’s strategic business model of being close to the group’s customers and close to serving regional market trends.
“With the Adrian, Michigan manufacturing plant, the pyrogenic silica plant under construction in Charleston, Tennessee, and our SILMIX custom compounding facilities located in Chino, California and North Canton, Ohio, we are able to offer customers leading-edge technology, product innovation and a broad range of silicone products,” Schmidt commented.
“Our silicone research at the Ann Arbor R&D Center will be focused on developing advanced and forward-looking solutions in concert with regional trends that can be quickly brought to market. And importantly,” Schmidt emphasised, “our team of highly specialised R&D experts in the field of silicone and polymer chemistry will be offering customers long term technical assistance in support of Wacker’s future business growth.”
Among the world’s leading chemical companies in terms of silicones technology, Wacker’s footprint in the US, the second largest chemical market in the world, is further expanded by the establishment of the new Silicones R&D Center in Ann Arbor. It also serves to further expand the group’s global R&D network.