MUNICH/JAKARTA, Indonesia - Wacker Chemie AG is expanding its presence in Southeast Asia by opening a new technical center for construction and adhesives applications in Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital. The technical facility serves as a development and testing laboratory for dispersible polymer powders and dispersions, which are used as binders for the regional building, paint and coatings, and adhesives industries. By expanding its local expertise in development, applications technology and service, WACKER is able to support customers and business partners in the region. It is thus further opening up Southeast Asia’s rapidly developing markets for high-quality construction polymers and chemical raw materials.

The reason for this increased commitment to the region is ongoing growth, particularly in the building industry. “Southeast Asia and Indonesia, in particular, offer promising growth opportunities for WACKER. Demand for construction chemical specialties has risen noticeably over recent years, especially for our dispersible polymer powders and dispersions,” said Christian Hartel of WACKER’s executive board during the opening ceremony. Since 2007, the company has operated a technical center in Singapore to support customers in the region in the development of new products and applications for electronics, textiles, automotive, coatings, construction and healthcare products. To meet the increasing customer demands in Indonesia, the group is investing continuously in its local services and has now established a new competence center in Jakarta. “With the new technical center in Indonesia, we are further expanding our strong market position in the region. This will allow us to optimally support our local customers and partners,” Hartel added.

WACKER already operates a sales subsidiary in Jakarta. The new technical center in Indonesia’s capital now serves as a local development and testing facility for polymer binders for construction and coatings applications. The focus is on formulations containing VINNAPAS^® dispersible polymer powders and dispersions. These are used, for instance, in dry-mix mortars for tile adhesives or grouts, in waterproofing membranes for bathrooms, kitchens or basements, or in eco-friendly interior wall paints. The new labs provide equipment for testing products under different climatic and environmental conditions and using different raw materials. Additionally, an outdoor weathering station has been installed to analyze the weathering behavior of polymer-modified exterior coatings. For supplementary analyses, WACKER’s global network of technical centers is also available for consultative support.