SEKISUI CHEMICAL has opened a new Design Center in Shanghai to accelerate the development of next-generation mobility solutions, with a focus on advanced laminated glass interlayer film technologies and evolving automotive design trends in China.

 

The center is designed as both a showroom and a collaborative development hub for automotive manufacturers.

 

It will feature demonstrators showcasing SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group’s laminated glass interlayer technologies, alongside design glass exhibits combining advanced interlayer films with emerging Chinese design trends. The company said the initiative is aimed at creating new user experiences for next-generation mobility.

 

China’s rapid shift toward electrification and smart vehicles is placing greater emphasis on in-vehicle user experience, aesthetics and brand differentiation. In particular, CMF — Color, Material and Finish — is emerging as a critical element of automotive design and brand value.

 

SEKISUI S-LEC SUZHOU is working with Shanghai-based CMF consultancy TECHIC to track emerging design trends and translate them into new proposals for automotive glass.

 

The company aims to move glass beyond its traditional functional role and position it as a prominent element of vehicle design and brand expression.

 

The approach is particularly relevant to roof glass, side glass and display-related applications, where automakers are increasingly looking for combinations of transparency, aesthetics and distinctive visual effects.

 

The Shanghai Design Center will offer a range of design possibilities using SEKISUI’s interlayer film technologies, including solutions designed to maximize clarity and light transmission, rich color effects using color interlayers, gradients, and visual effects created through the reflection and transmission of light.

 

Customized designs tailored to individual vehicle brands will also be developed.

 

Beyond design proposals, the center will provide an integrated development framework covering concept creation, CMF evaluation, design simulation, sample production, prototype assessment and installation verification in actual vehicles.

 

SEKISUI said the end-to-end support is intended to shorten development timelines and help automakers bring more competitive glass solutions to market.