LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa.,
Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Products
(NYSE: APD), a leading global industrial gases and performance
materials supplier, has recently completed further expansion of its
state-of-the-art Asia Technology Center in the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech
Park in Shanghai, China. The
expansion will accelerate the development of industrial gas
applications and solutions for general industries, as well as the
electronics industry, to support increasing demands in these high
growth markets in China and across
Asia.
Air Products was the first global industrial gas company to
establish a research and development (R&D) capability in
China when it set up its Asia
Technology Center in 2005 with initial focus on its performance
materials business. The facility has already been through one
expansion cycle in 2007. The recent expansion, which will double
the lab footprint and R&D staff numbers over the next year,
makes the Asia Technology Center the company's second largest
R&D facility in the world.
This expansion, built on the existing capabilities serving high
growth performance materials segments including polyurethane
chemicals, and epoxy and specialty additives for coatings, inks,
adhesives and related markets, adds standard laboratories and
high-bay space for industrial gas applications, product and process
R&D, and analytical and testing capabilities for other key
growth markets. These include metals processing, electronics
packaging and assembly, industrial cryogenics, water treatment and
energy applications.
"Innovation is a core value of Air Products. Developing
sustainable and cost-effective applications to help customers meet
increasing challenges, be they on tightening environmental
regulations or return on investment, has been our focus," said
Monty Alger, vice president and
chief technology officer of Air Products. "Asia and China in particular represent a high growth
region for Air Products. Customer requirements here are
unique. Leveraging our cutting edge technologies around the world
and further expanding our R&D capabilities in China will enable us to accelerate our
development to serve customers with speed, cost efficiency and
product quality."
***NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements
within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are
based on management's reasonable expectations and assumptions as of
the date of this release regarding important risk factors. Actual
performance and financial results may differ materially from
projections and estimates expressed in the forward-looking
statements because of many factors not anticipated by management,
including risk factors described in the Company's Form 10K for its
fiscal year ended September 30,
2009.
SOURCE Air Products
Copyright . 20 PR Newswire