Business

Wacker Expands US-Based Research And Development Capacities For Silicones

Munich-based German chemical company Wacker, is in the process of expanding its research and development facilities for silicones by establishing a new research and development (R&D) centre located in Ann Arbor, Michigan state (USA), the company has officially announced.

The Ann Arbor facility is dedicated to support Wacker’s overall business and product development in Northern, Central and South America regions.

In the first phase, the Group plans to invest an undisclosed amount (a single digit million US-dollar figure), mainly in equipment and installation of labs. The facility will officially open in the first half of 2017, according to a company release.

Based at Michigan Innovation Headquarters, a co-work campus facility in Ann Arbor, the centre will consist of several labs for R&D and analytics. Projects which Wacker intends to pursue right from the start include health and medical care applications, solutions for coatings and paints, silicone-based softeners, besides personal care products.

The labs will be operated by Wacker Chemical Corporation (WCC), Wacker’s Michigan based subsidiary for North, Central and South America, which are staffed with highly specialised experts in the field of silicone and polymer chemistry.

“Our facility is among several high-tech development operations in a 90,000 square foot co-work campus. This scientific co-work community is ideal for Wacker, and for very good reason. This puts us in the midst of a business incubator atmosphere where ideas can be developed and brought quickly to the market,” WCC President & CEO David Wilhoit said.

The Ann Arbor location was selected due to the availability of highly skilled talent pools, close proximity to respected universities and to Wacker’s production site at Adrian in Michigan.

“With Ann Arbor considered a technology hub, it complements the company’s business model to be close to its customers and close to regional market trends,” Wilhoit pointed out.

According to Robert Gnann, head of the Group’s silicone division, Wacker Silicones, the centre continues Wacker’s expansion of its global R&D footprint.

“We already have R&D operations in Germany and in Asia. Our R&D centre in Ann Arbor, combined with our Adrian site, furthers the strategic regionalisation of Wacker’s global network of research and development”, Gnann explained.

“Our aim is to offer long-term technical assistance for customers and support Wacker’s future business growth. By enhancing research efforts in the field of silicone technology, our emphasis will be on developing new and advanced applications in growth markets such as health, medical and personal care, electronics, life sciences and coatings,” he said.