SABIC: New research centre inaugurated at Geleen

SABIC
New research centre inaugurated at Geleen / “Milestone in innovation journey”

Saudi Arabian petrochemicals giant Sabic (Riyadh; www.sabic.com) inaugurated a new state-of-the-art research facility at its Brightlands Chemelot Campus at Geleen / The Netherlands on 19 May in the presence of Dutch dignitaries and company executives. More than 130 employees of Sabic’s Technology & Innovation segment will work in the new centre that includes a brainstorming room supporting “out-of-the-box thinking” and several labs dedicated to developing materials and applications.

The Saudi company, which acquired the activities from US-based GE Plastics in 2007 for USD 11.6 bn – said the facility extends the research infrastructure at the Chemelot campus and forms a central part of its European innovation lab network in Geleen and Bergen op Zoom / The Netherlands, Wilton / UK and Cartagena / Spain.

Bert Groothuis, director of corporate sustainability for Sabic in Europe, called the Dutch centre “the latest milestone” in the company’s innovation journey toward developing new and sustainable solutions together with customers and partners in markets such as transportation, packaging and building. As examples he spotlighted new products based on lightweight foamed polyolefins, specifically developed for automobile bumpers, as well as renewable polymers for packaging.

From left to right: Peter Borman - Director Regional Technology Affairs Europe, Bert Groothuis - Director Corporate Sustainability Europe, Governor Theo Bovens representing the Dutch Province of Limburg, Bert Kip - CEO Brightlands Chemelot Campus, Mark Williams - VP Europe, Henny Jacobs - Ministerie EZ, Marc Jamin - Director Public Affairs (Photo: Sabic)