#Textile chemistry

2021-03-18

Clariant strengthens position in China with inauguration of One Clariant Campus

Clariant, a focused, sustainable and innovative specialty chemical company, today announced the official opening of its One Clariant Campus in Shanghai, China. Across a total floor space of approximately 24,000 m2, the Campus will be home to Clariant’s Greater China Operational Headquarters as well as the Innovation Center China.

Campus increases cooperation and enhances solutions for customers

Home to Clariant’s operational headquarters and innovation center in China

CHF 45 million investment: important milestone for Clariant’s China strategy

“The One Clariant Campus is an important milestone for our dedicated China strategy. By locating our teams in the China organization under one roof and providing them with state of the art equipment in the Clariant Innovation Center China, we increase their ability to innovate and to exchange insights on market trends and customer needs. As a result, the One Clariant Campus will be a strong driver to further strengthen our market position in China and beyond”, said Conrad Keijzer, CEO of Clariant.

The One Clariant Campus in Shanghai enhances the company's local innovation capabilities and in turn stimulates its ability to grow in China (Photo: Clariant)

The Chinese market represented 10% of Clariant’s sales in 2020, totaling CHF 402 million. In order to increase its share of the Chinese market, the world’s largest chemicals market overall as well as for specialty chemicals, the company pursues a dedicated strategy of becoming a true “China Insider” by fostering five key local elements: insight, competitiveness, empowerment, innovation and partnering. To achieve this, Clariant invests significantly in China. In addition to the CHF 45 million invested in the Campus, Clariant recently announced the construction of a new Catofin™ catalysts production facility in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, and its joint venture facility with Tiangang Auxiliary in Cangzhou, Hebei province, is opening soon.

“As an integral part of the One Clariant Campus, the new innovation center will foster Clariant’s research and development capabilities in China. While the new facilities will greatly enhance the abilities of our own teams, we will also step up our cooperation with local key customers and key suppliers by inviting them to co-locate in our center for the joint development of next generation products. Supported by additional cooperation with academic partners and other industrial partners, the center will be the beating heart of our innovation efforts in China”, commented Martin Vollmer, Clariant’s Chief Technology Officer.

Located in Shanghai’s XinZhuang Industrial Park, the One Clariant Campus spans a total of approximately 24,000 m2, consisting of slightly more than 13,000 m2 lab area and close to 11,000 m2 of office & conference center. It serves as the principal office location for some 350 employees. Sustainable building design was an important element in the construction of the Campus. This commitment proved worthwhile as the Campus was awarded a LEED Gold certificate (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, the most widely used green building rating system in the world) as well as the Green Building Label (highest Chinese Green Building Certification).

Andy Walti, Head of Clariant Region China and Asia-Pacific, said: “With this investment, Clariant shows its long term commitment to China and increases its focus on all 3 top priorities, namely customer experience, innovation drive and footprint enlargement. Under the roof of the One Clariant Campus, we will speed up our processes and increase our abilities to fulfill the specific needs of our Chinese customers with innovative and sustainable Clariant solutions.”

Zschimmer & Schwarz at ITMA Asia in Singapore

At ITMA Asia in October 2025, Zschimmer & Schwarz will present 100 % bio-based spin finishes from the LERTISAN range designed for hygiene nonwovens, and HYDROSET ECO-DRY, a bio-based wicking agent that delivers excellent moisture management for synthetic fabrics. For dye fixation on polyamide, the company has developed a sustainable, plant-based product completely free from phenol, bisphenol, and formaldehyde. The patented aftertreatment agent ZETESAL ECO-FIX PA ensures durable and reliable fixation, particularly on dark shades.

Covestro and Heraeus Precious Metals collaborate to enable safer, more sustainable antimicrobial textile coatings

Laboratory tests reveal that AGXX antimicrobial surface technology from Heraeus Precious Metals is fully compatible with Impranil® PU dispersions which are part of the waterborne INSQIN® textile coating technology from Covestro, paving the way for more sustainable antimicrobial textile coatings. This discovery comes at a key moment for the textile coatings industry. As the sharing economy continues to grow, more people are coming into regular contact with high-use surfaces, creating ideal conditions for bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms to thrive.

Archroma launches the first truly durable silicone softener for cotton that stays silky soft for longer: SILIGEN® D2W LIQ C

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, today launched SILIGEN® D2W LIQ C, the industry’s first truly durable silicone softener for cellulosic as well as cotton-lycra blended knits. Designed to keep the fabric soft and elastic for an extended usage, it is ideal for textile and fashion applications where long-lasting comfort and breathability are important, from undergarments and sleepwear to baby and children’s clothing, dresses and trousers, activewear, T-shirts and towels.

The Address of innovation and investment in textile technologies: ITM 2026

Sales for ITM 2026, one of the world’s most comprehensive and prestigious exhibitions in textile technologies, are continuing at full steam. The record number of exhibitors and visitors achieved at ITM 2024 once again proved the industry’s confidence and the commercial success of the exhibition; meanwhile, the strong interest shown in ITM 2026, to be held on 9-13 June 2026, has far exceeded expectations.

STOLL in focus:

At the beginning of this year, KARL MAYER announced that it would be shifting its focus back to its core areas of warp knitting, warp preparation and technical textiles. As part of this strategic realignment, the flat knitting machine business under the STOLL brand will be discontinued. The Reutlingen plant will close down on 31 October 2025. Production in China will end in December 2025. This was an extremely difficult decision for KARL MAYER.

Heimtextil 2026 strengthens the global home textile industry with trends, designs and AI technologies

With an optimised hall layout, progressive design collaborations, inspiring trends and AI-driven innovations, Heimtextil 2026 reacts to the current market situation – and offers the industry a reliable constant in challenging times. Under the motto ‘Lead the Change’, the leading trade fair for home and contract textiles and textile design shows how challenges can be turned into opportunities. From 13 to 16 January, more than 3,100 exhibitors from 65 countries will provide a comprehensive market overview with new collections and textile solutions. As a knowledge hub, Heimtextil delivers new strategies and concrete solutions for future business success.