Expansions: Radici’s EUR35 mn investment for expansion of engineering polymers capacity; Asahi Kasei Europe moves to new location at Düsseldorf Harbour

Materials firm RadiciGroup’s High Performance Polymers Business Area has pumped investments of over EUR35 million in business growth, sustainability and innovation. It adds that it is adding significantly to its global production capacity with new construction and installations in North America, Europe and China.

Production capacity has been increased by 20,000 tonnes/year in North America, namely, at Radici Plastics USA and Radici Plastics Mexico. In particular, a new site was inaugurated in Mexico, extending over an area of 20,000 sq m, which is needed to support current and future development.

In China, work has begun on the construction of a new 25,000-sq m plant that will boost production capacity by 30,000 tonnes/year. The total investment of almost EUR20 million in Suxiang District Industrial Park, in the City of Suzhou, was made in light of expectations for strong growth in the High Performance Polymers business in the Asian region.

RadiciGroup High Performance Polymers is also growing steadily in Europe: work is underway to expand production capacity by 15,000 tonnes/year at the German Radici Plastics site. This installation complements the enhancements made at the Italian Radici Novacips facility over the last two years. Europe remains one of the group's core markets, especially for the automotive, electrical/electronics and consumer goods sectors.

Moreover, following the recent establishment of Radici InNova – the RadiciGroup consortium company that pools the research and innovation activities of the various divisions of the Group, in line with a sustainability strategy based on the circular economy – RadiciGroup High Performance Polymers is strengthening its Research and Development Centre, with the aim of studying innovative, increasingly more circularity-oriented materials and application solutions for markets and supply chains demanding lower environmental impact products.

Meanwhile in other news, Asahi Kasei Europe recently started office operation at its new location at Düsseldorf Harbour, Germany. In March 2021, the Asahi Kasei Europe R&D Centre relocated from Dormagen to the new location. By uniting European sales, marketing and R&D activities, the Japanese technology company further enhances its business approach towards the European automotive industry.

Asahi Kasei is starting a new chapter of its business expansion on the European market: Asahi Kasei Europe GmbH and its sister company Asahi Kasei Microdevices Europe GmbH started office operation at the new “C-View Offices” at Düsseldorf Harbour, Germany. The Asahi Kasei Europe R&D Centre – originally located at Chempark Dormagen near Düsseldorf – relocated to the new location in March 2021.

Hideki Tsutsumi, Managing Director at Asahi Kasei Europe: “This relocation marks the next important milestone of Asahi Kasei’s expansion on the European market. Europe is at the forefront of an evolution in the automotive industry that is said to happen once in a century. In addition, it is the forerunner in environmental topics. Uniting sales, marketing, R&D and technical service activities at one single location will enable us to quickly address the changing demands by customers and to enhance joint projects with local partners.

The office building has wide open office and meeting spaces with a clear view on the water side and the Düsseldorf skyline. In the brand-new showroom the company displays its materials and solutions for the future automotive, ranging from sustainable microfiber materials for interior seat and headliner coverings to innovative foam products and separators for battery applications. The adjacent hall building is home to the Asahi Kasei Europe R&D Center, with laboratory space for various materials, such as engineering plastics, synthetic rubber, as well as for battery and coating materials.

“The new office spaces will further foster the cross-divisional communication within Asahi Kasei Europe, but also the cross organisational communication with other European Asahi Kasei Group companies. Naturally, this will also be of great benefit to our customers,” adds Tsutsumi.

After the establishment of Asahi Kasei Europe and Asahi Kasei Microdevices Europe at “Am Seestern”, Düsseldorf in April 2016, the companies have been accelerating the activities towards the European automotive industry. This has been followed by the opening of the Asahi Kasei Europe R&D Centre in Chempark Dormagen in 2017, providing local technical support and strengthening the cooperation and joint development with European companies and universities.

In the five years since its establishment, Asahi Kasei Europe has built a strong network in Düsseldorf, it adds.

Tsutsumi continues: “Düsseldorf is a great hub for business activities in Europe and in close proximity to technical universities. With this relocation we are further committing ourselves to our home base Düsseldorf – a very important sign in times of Covid-19. We are very much looking forward to create this next chapter of Asahi Kasei Europe together with our customers and partners.”

Subscribe to Get the Latest Updates from IMA  Please click here