MUTTENZ, Switzerland/FRANKFURT, Germany – Swiss specialty chemicals company Clariant is planning to expand its global research and development (R&D) activities at its site in Frankfurt, Germany. The new, 23,000-square-meter Clariant Innovation Center is due to be completed by the end of 2012. It will provide space for 500 people.

The planned center will be located in the Frankfurt-Höchst Industrial Park and represents an investment of more than EUR 50 million. The new innovation center will closely cooperate with all of the R&D satellite sites in Gendorf (near Munich, Germany), Lamotte (France) and Suzano (Brazil) as well as 40 application centers around the globe. Clariant has invested well over 130 million Swiss Francs in research and development in 2010.

Hariolf Kottmann, Chief Executive Officer at Clariant AG, explained that Clariant’s goal is to establish the company as an innovation leader in the specialty chemicals field within the next few years.

The new innovation center features an open architectural office and laboratory concept that combines chemical research and development activities, which belong to the Group Technology Services structure, with application-oriented laboratories and technical marketing functions of several business units. Besides Chemical Analysis, the new building will also host the New Business Development and Intellectual Property Management units as well as the Patent department. Combining different disciplines will allow Clariant to further expand its R&D pipeline and strengthen its innovation power.