Expanding Arkema’s presence in Asia

Over the past several years, the global economic environment in which the chemical industry operates has changed radically. Markets have become globalized and new operators have debuted in emerging economies, particularly in Asia, where we have a strong presence, primarily in China, but also in India, Singapore, South Korea and Japan.

Today, Asia accounts for 13% of our revenue and 8% of our workforce, which provide solid underpinnings to substantially increase our presence and revenue in the coming years. To achieve this goal, we will step up the pace of our expansion in Asia and are planning to invest €50 million in the region through 2010.

Our usual strategy is to form long-term manufacturing partnerships. Examples include ventures in fluorochemicals with Japan’s Daikin, in hydrogen peroxide with China’s Shanghai Coking and in acrylics with India’s Essar.

Our research center in Kyoto, Japan, offers local R&D capabilities to support growth in Asia. The success of our products and brands in the region is reflected in the gradual deployment of local technical expertise in China and the development of new applications such as Altuglas® LCD screens, CVD technology for flat glass and Pebax® for sporting goods.