Lanxess is strengthening its ties with automotive customers in the growing Asia-Pacific region. The specialty chemicals company will open a new application development center in the Hong Kong Science & Technology Park in the second half of 2012.

The new center will have computer aided development and engineering facilities, as well as a parts testing center, focusing on the company's high-tech plastics Durethan and Pocan.

Lanxess has also just expanded its capacities for the high-tech plastics at its compounding plant in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, to approximately 60,000 metric tons per year.

In addition, the company has just opened a new 20,000 metric tons per annum high-tech plastics compounding facility in Jhagadia, India, to serve the booming local market.

The company is targeting more than €1 billion sales in Greater China in 2012.