Clariant is strengthening its innovation capabilities in China with the launch of two new research and development laboratories for its Additives business, expanding its ability to develop specialty additives locally from initial research through to pilot scale.
The new facilities, located at Clariant’s Daya Bay production site in Huizhou and its One Clariant Campus (OCC) in Shanghai, mark a major step forward in the company’s “In China, For China” strategy.
Unlike Clariant’s existing application development capabilities in China, the new laboratories will enable the company to synthesize and develop new additives entirely within the country.
The expanded capabilities are designed to help Clariant respond faster to rapidly changing market trends, work more closely with customers across China and Asia Pacific, and bring new solutions to global markets more quickly and competitively.
The Daya Bay R&D lab, located at Clariant’s high-performance flame retardants plant in Huizhou, will focus on next-generation flame retardant products. The plant was inaugurated in 2023 and expanded with a second production line in November 2025, bringing Clariant’s total investment at the site to CHF 100 million.
The lab is equipped with reactors for atmospheric and high-pressure synthesis, alongside analytical technologies including TGA, DSC, XRF, GC and ion chromatography. It will also support collaboration with universities and innovation partners across China.
In Shanghai, the OCC R&D Lab is housed within Clariant’s existing Additives Technology Center and will focus on novel performance additives, including antioxidants, light stabilizers and waxes. Its capabilities cover synthesis and analytics, as well as pilot-scale polycondensation.
Both facilities are staffed by experienced R&D professionals recruited specifically to advance innovation in their respective fields.
The two laboratories add another critical piece to Clariant’s expanding China innovation ecosystem, which now spans local R&D, manufacturing and partnerships.
In November 2025, Clariant announced a joint venture with Fuhua to develop next-generation phosphorus-based flame retardants. That same month, the second production line at its Cangzhou joint venture with Beijing Tiangang was inaugurated to produce Nylostab S-EED, a multifunctional additive targeting China’s rapidly growing nylon market.
With R&D and manufacturing capabilities increasingly rooted in China, Clariant aims to give customers across the region shorter lead times, faster technical support and solutions tailored to local application requirements.
Manuel Mueller, Head of Strategy and Innovation, Business Unit Adsorbents & Additives, said: “Sustainability-driven innovation is at the core of Clariant Additives' strategy, and the expansion of our R&D labs to China is an important milestone in bringing that vision to life.
"The new facilities will enable us to develop high-value specialty additives for plastics, coatings, and adhesives with greater speed and precision, tailored to the needs of our customers in China and across global markets. By forging deeper collaboration with leading local institutes and industry partners, we are further strengthening Clariant's position as the partner of choice for innovative and sustainable additive solutions.”
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