Akzo Nobel, Arnhem, The Netherlands, said its Surface Chemistry business opened a new surfactants production facility on Jurong Island, Singapore, an expansion that the company said is a response to growing demand in the Asia-Pacific market. The site will produce quaternary ammonium compounds and specialty surfactants. The plant's primary products will initially target personal-care and fabric-care uses, with industrial applications to follow.
Akzo Nobel Car Refinishes, Arnhem, The Netherlands, formally opened its international ICT Competence Center in Bangalore, India. The company said the global center will work in close cooperation with a similar facility in Velp, The Netherlands, and will play a major role in the development of new IT-related services for the collision-repair industry. The center will be responsible for the development of IT body-shop systems such as Carinfo and Sikkens, and will mainly focus on test work and activities in the area of data retrieval and programming, the company said. In the future software development will also be performed in India. The ICT Competence Center is part of a unit of Akzo Nobel Car Refinishes India, which was incorporated in 1997. Akzo Nobel in 2002 opened an international R&D center and a training center for painters, body-shop owners and managers.