At a press conference organized to coincide with the Chinaplas tradeshow in Shanghai, Arkema reaffirmed its commitment to developing in Asia its Technical Polymers activity, one of its key sectors that accounts for sales of 800 million Euros, i.e. 14% of its overall sales. Thanks to its R&D’s dynamism and capacity for innovation, its leading commercial positions, and its strong brands, Arkema has the necessary assets to speed up the growth of this activity on the Asian continent.

With fast-growing markets such as automobile, construction, textile and sports equipment, Asia, and in particular China, represent a key development area for Arkema’s technical polymers. 
To achieve its objective, Arkema has solid commercial bases in China, Korea, Japan, Singapore and India, as well as three research centers specializing in technical polymers around the world, including one at Kyoto in Japan. Alongside its two polyamide industrial sites near Shanghai, where production capacities were doubled in 2007, a Kynar® (PVDF) fluorinated polymer production plant will shortly be established on the Changshu industrial platform, scheduled to come on stream mid-2010.

The force of innovation

Arkema’s Technical Polymers Business Unit can also count on its significant capacity for innovation, with R&D investments representing between 5 and 8% of its sales depending on the product lines. In recent years these research efforts have led to a large number of innovative products fulfilling customer expectations, including high performance polymers produced from renewable raw materials (Pebax® Rnew, Platamid® Rnew), transparent thermoplastics (Rilsan Clear®, Pebax® Clear ), opening up the way for new applications in sports and leisure. They have also resulted in the development of new technologies regarding the use of polyamides and fluorinated polymers in the automobile, offshore pipeline, and construction sectors.

Arkema speeds up its development in Asia

In addition to technical polymers, Arkema is targeting growth on the Asian continent for most of its activities. In 2007, in addition to announcing the construction of a fluorinated polymer (PVDF) production plant, Arkema announced a strategic partnership with Daikin for the production and marketing in Asia Pacific of new generation refrigerant fluids, as well as the doubling of capacity at its PVC  stabilizer production plant. From 2008, Arkema plans to invest some 50 million Euros/year in Asia. In October 2008, Arkema will inaugurate the industrial extension of its Shanghai hydrogen peroxide production plant, which will double production capacity.
With these investments, Arkema affirms its ambition to increase the share of its sales in Asia significantly, from 13% today to 20% by 2012.

France's leading chemical company and a global chemical player, Arkema consists of 3 coherent and related business segments: Vinyl Products, Industrial Chemicals, and Performance Products. Present in over 40 countries with 15,200 employees, Arkema achieves sales of 5.7 billion euros. With its 6 research centers in France, the United States and Japan, and internationally recognized brands, Arkema holds leadership positions in its principal markets.

Contacts China :

Product: Olivier Poyet  olivier.poyet@arkema.com

Press: Jeanne Lu  jeanne.lu@arkema.com