Lubrizol expands Singapore R&D hub to boost innovation in specialty chemicals sector
The new lab space aims to help industry customers improve speed to market amid growing Asian demand
[SINGAPORE] Berkshire Hathaway-owned specialty chemicals company Lubrizol on Monday (Oct 5) expanded its Singapore research and development hub to speed up innovation and product formulation for the South-east Asian market, amid regional growth in downstream demand.
The new lab facilities at Lubrizol’s Southeast Asia Innovation Centre in Jurong will support R&D in hyperdispersants, consumer-care and bio-based polymers.
The expanded centre, which is designed to deepen collaboration with customers and boost their speed to market, serves industries such as energy storage, electronics, coatings, packaging, life sciences and healthcare.
At the launch, Economic Development Board (EDB) executive vice-president Lim Wey-Len said: “The expanding Asian middle class and rising incomes are driving growth in demand for consumer, automotive and industrial products across the region.
“We see growing interest from specialty chemical companies like Lubrizol in using Singapore as a platform to strengthen customer access, and capture these opportunities across Asia.”
He added that the EDB welcomes tie-ups between the specialty chemicals industry and Singapore’s research institutes “to translate research into innovations that address real industry needs”.
Other specialty chemicals companies that have recently ramped up R&D capabilities in Singapore include Corteva, tesa and Kuraray.
Lim noted that Singapore offers the sector access to customers, such as consumer-care giants L’Oreal, Procter & Gamble and Shiseido, all of which carry out advanced consumer research here.
Lubrizol’s technical capabilities will help translate scientific expertise into commercial solutions and “accelerate the path from innovation to market impact” for customers, the company’s chief technology officer Julie Edgar said.
The company is also expanding its global Learning Labs education initiative to Singapore, starting with a partnership with Nanyang Technological University and Access Singapore.
The programme, which aims to nurture future scientists, engineers and innovators, provides students with hands-on learning, mentoring and career-exploration opportunities.
“Together with our South-east Asia laboratory network, these initiatives reflect our long-term commitment to Singapore as a hub for innovation, talent development and collaboration, supporting sustainable growth across the Asia-Pacific,” said Lubrizol’s Asia-Pacific vice-president Henry Liu.
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