Wacker expands USA-based R&D capacities for silicones

Wacker is expanding its research and development facilities for silicones by establishing a new R&D centre located in Ann Arbor, MI, USA. The facility is dedicated to support Wacker’s overall business and product development in the North, Central and South America regions. In a first phase, the Group is investing a single digit million US$ figure mainly for equipment and installation of the labs.

The facility will officially open in the first half of 2017. Based at Michigan Innovation Headquarters, a co-work campus facility in Ann Arbor, the centre consists of several labs for R&D and analytics. Projects Wacker intends to pursue right from the start include solutions for coatings and paints, silicone-based softeners and personal care products. The labs will be operated by Wacker Chemical Corporation (WCC), Wacker’s Adrian, MI, based subsidiary for North, Central and South America and staffed with highly specialised experts in the field of silicone and polymer chemistry.