Global specialty chemicals leader Nouryon today announced the opening of its newest innovation center in Shanghai, China to strengthen the company’s commitment to localized innovation, customer co-development and sustainable growth in China and across the Asia Pacific region.

The center more than doubles the space of the company’s previous facility in Shanghai and significantly enhances its technical capabilities with investments in testing and analytical equipment focused on high-growth sectors like agriculture, electronics, construction and pharmaceuticals. The facility also includes a customer experience center for personal care sector.

“The launch of our innovation center in Shanghai marks another important milestone in Nouryon’s future in China,” said Charlie Shaver, chairman and CEO of Nouryon. “It deepens our commitment to innovation and customer intimacy, while enhancing our ability to co-develop high-performance, market-tailored solutions. This center will play a critical role in supporting our customers’ growth across key industries and accelerating our strategic ambitions in China and the broader Asia-Pacific region.” Shaver added that the center – currently the 14th in the company’s global innovation network – supports rapid prototyping, performance testing and the development of solutions tailored to Chinese industries.

The innovation center enhances Nouryon’s capabilities in China and features eight specialized laboratories including new labs dedicated to its industry-leading products: Expancel thermoplastic microspheres for lightweight plastic materials, Kromasil chromatography media for pharmaceutical purification, Levasil colloidal silica for catalyst technologies, and Bermocoll cellulose ethers for use in paints and coatings.

The center also supports Nouryon’s sustainability goals by accelerating the development of eco-friendly solutions, including low volatile organic-compound coatings, fully biobased chelates, biopolymer-based personal care products and more sustainable microspheres.

Nouryon also recently announced that in 2026, the company will open an organic peroxides innovation center in Tianjin to provide specialized polymer application capabilities for faster product development and enhanced customer support.