Swiss speciality chemicals firm Clariant is set to official open its new EUR100 million Clariant Innovation Center (CIC) in Frankfurt, Germany. The 36,000 sq m global hub for R&D is based at the “Industriepark Höchst” and will house 500 employees. It will be the home of Clariant’s competence centres in chemical research and process technology as well as application laboratories for several Business Units and analytical laboratories. It will also house the departments for Intellectual Property Management and New Business Development. As the corporation’s global hub, the CIC will ensure the coordination of Clariant’s world-wide R&D network, which includes centres across Europe, North America, Brazil, Japan, India and China.

Located at Clariant’s largest manufacturing site, the CIC will benefit from the excellent infrastructure as well as industrial and academic links offered by the Rhein-Main region.

Themed “In touch with Clariant” a multimedia exhibit on the premises showcases Clariant innovations already at the forefront in aiding customers and society meet the global challenges of environmental protection, globalisation & urbanisation as well as resources & energy. Highlights of the exhibit include: flame retardants that keep electrical and electronic devices safe without harming the environment; biotechnology processes to create biofuels from agricultural residues; using renewable raw materials to boost crop yields; eliminating parabens from cosmetics; reducing environmental pollution from industrial plant emissions; and flagship projects with major partners, including Audi, to substitute natural gas by converting CO2 with hydrogen derived from renewable energy. This is an attractive solution for CO2 utilisation, energy storage as well as future clean energy supply.