Report: Cabot plans to add techical center in Shanghai

Boston, Massachusetts – Cabot Corp. will add a new application innovation laboratory in Shanghai to create a more innovative, faster and efficient operation in Asia.

It will serve as the company's Asia Technical Center with an infrastructure and labs that support all businesses within the region.

Featuring new state-of-the-art analytical and application testing equipment, the lab will be located on the campus of Cabot's regional headquarters in Shanghai and will include a product showroom.

“The location alongside our existing facilities allows us to leverage our strong team of commercial, technical and customer service professionals and also provides for future expansion at the site,” a company spokeswoman said.

Cabot is converting an unused existing facility on the campus for laboratory use. The project is expected to be completed in about a year, she said. Financial details were not disclosed.

Cabot said the centre initially will be staffed with more than 30 researchers and scientists who will work with extended research teams spread throughout the company's global network.

In addition, it said, the new laboratory environment will aim to promote best practices and idea sharing across businesses and will foster open innovation to increase collaboration with customers.

Cabot already has strong manufacturing and commercial capabilities in Asia, according to Yakov Kutsovsky, senior vice president of research and development and chief technology officer.

“With a highly experienced team and state-of-the-art equipment, the Asia Technical Center will enable us to offer our customers more collaborative services, faster development times, and extensive training and trailing in Asia,” he said.

In order for the company to drive and enable advancements, Kutsovsky said, “we must continue to innovate based on our deep understanding of applications, ensuring that our materials can deliver maximum performance for our customers.”

Cabot's new centre will support the company's activated carbon, rubber and speciality carbons; fumed metal oxides; masterbatch and compounds; and inkjet colorants with testing and development capabilities that closely represent its customers' applications, the firm said.

“This advanced R&D and applications laboratory is a prime example of our ongoing commitment to and investment in the development of world leading solutions and services,” according to Jeff Zhu, senior vice president of the Asia-Pacific region.

He said the company will be able to respond much quicker to regional and global customers' needs while delivering a higher level of innovation and value in the future.