Arkema has completed the expansion of its Shanghai R&D Center, which is now officially operational. This milestone marks a new phase for the center, strengthening its strategic role as an innovation hub for the Group and enabling it to better support the development needs of Arkema’s various business segments. The upgraded facility will foster cross-business synergy and facilitate joint innovation with customers in China and across Asia, accelerating the development of cutting-edge applications and advanced, sustainable material solutions. This expansion aligns with the Group’s broader strategy to continuously strengthen its global R&D footprint.
During his visit to China, Arkema Chairman and CEO Thierry Le Hénaff, joined by the Consul General of France in Shanghai, local government representatives, customers, partners, and members of the management team, unveiled the upgraded R&D center.
“China is Arkema’s second-largest national market and one of the most dynamic hubs for innovation globally,” said Thierry Le Hénaff. “As the pace of R&D accelerates among industries and customers in China, we must continue to bolster our local R&D capabilities to remain closely aligned with market trends and specific application requirements. This upgrade to our Shanghai R&D Center will allow us to better integrate technical expertise from across our business units, enabling us to co-develop high-performance, sustainable specialty material solutions with our customers.”
The Shanghai R&D Center originated as the Bostik Asia R&D Center, established in 2011. Over the past 15 years, it has built comprehensive R&D capabilities—spanning material synthesis and formulation development to validation via simulated customer production lines—with many of its innovations already applied in sectors such as high-speed rail, food packaging, and sustainable consumer goods.
The expansion centers on the “One Arkema” strategy, leveraging the Group’s collective material expertise across different business units to reinforce Arkema’s role as a deep co-creation partner for its customers. The laboratory space has been increased by approximately 20%, and new “co-creation” areas—including an interactive showroom—have been added. These spaces provide an intuitive showcase of Arkema’s comprehensive, one-stop specialty material solutions while fostering closer engagement with customers and partners. At the same time, the company will further deepen its integration into the local innovation ecosystem by collaborating with organizations such as the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP) and Lücheng Industrial (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., thereby strengthening ties with startups and emerging technology enterprises.
In China, Arkema will continue to expand its local R&D network in key regions:
Earlier this year, Arkema initiated a project to modernize and expand the battery materials laboratory at its Changshu R&D Center. This project is set to reach a significant new milestone within the next two months.
In Guangzhou, Arkema is advancing the development of a “One Arkema” laboratory, which will focus on serving customers in the electronics and battery sectors.
On a global scale, Arkema will continue to leverage its robust international R&D network to enhance its innovation capabilities, effectively combining the expertise of its China-based R&D teams with the technical proficiency of its R&D centers across the rest of Asia, Europe, and the United States.
Post time: Oct-16-2026
