Swiss specialty chemicals company Clariant is planning to expand its global research and development (R&D) activities at its site in Frankfurt, Germany. The new, 23,000 m² Clariant Innovation Center is due to be completed by the end of 2012. It will provide space for 500 people.

The planned center will be located in the Frankfurt-Höchst Industrial Park and represents an investment of more than €50 million. The new innovation center will closely cooperate with all of the R&D satellite sites in Gendorf (near Munich, Germany), Lamotte (France) and Suzano (Brazil) as well as 40 application centers around the globe. Clariant has invested well over 130 million Swiss Francs in research and development in 2010.

"After the completion of the successful restructuring, innovation in combination with an increased strategic focus on profitable growth will be a key cornerstone for our company. The goal is to establish Clariant as an innovation leader in the field of specialty chemicals within the next few years", said Hariolf Kottmann, Chief Executive Officer at Clariant.

The new innovation center was designed by HPP Architekten of Düsseldorf. It features an open architectural office and laboratory concept that combines chemical research and development activities, which belong to the Group Technology Services structure, with application-oriented laboratories and technical marketing functions of several business units. Besides Chemical Analysis, the new building will also host the New Business Development und Intellectual Property Management units as well as the Patent department. Combining different disciplines will allow Clariant to further expand its R&D pipeline and strengthen its innovation power.

"Our product innovations will also address current megatrends such as renewable energies, energy efficiency and renewable resources with a view to opening up new business opportunities beyond current markets. A market- and customer-focus will remain at the center of our activities," said Christian Kohlpainter, Executive Committee Member Clariant Ltd and responsible for R&D.

This focus on markets and customers is reinforced by the architectural concept of the new Clariant Innovation Center: an open meeting center, designed to foster close Clariant International cooperation with customers, the academic world, industry partners and representatives from other target groups.