LyondellBasell Expands Laboratory Capabilities at Suzhou Technology Center

LyondellBasell, a global leader in the chemical industry dedicated to delivering solutions for sustainable everyday living, has launched a new laboratory extrusion line and upgraded the processing workshop at its Suzhou Technology Center in China.

The new equipment will support the Advanced Polymer Solutions (APS) business, enhance compounding capabilities, and enable the development of highly precise and complex formulations for its polypropylene compounds and engineering plastics portfolio.

Rolf van Beeck, Vice President of APS Asia Pacific and AfMEI at LYB, said:
“Our customers in the automotive, electronics, and consumer goods sectors are facing increasingly complex material challenges, which demand not only innovation but also speed. Our new equipment strengthens our ability to collaborate closely with customers and original equipment manufacturers, enabling us to deliver solutions that meet their most demanding application requirements and bring their visions to market faster.”

“Suzhou Technology Center’s new laboratory production line, together with increased R&D investment in the Asia-Pacific region, enhances our ability to maintain a leading position in technology,” said Siqi Xue, Senior Manager of Product Application and Development, APS Asia Pacific. “We are committed to innovation to meet customer needs and to align our growth with major market trends.”

The upgraded facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art extruders and comprehensive laboratory functions for advanced product analysis and performance testing. Key areas of innovation include lightweight plastic body panels, color-material-finish (CMF) solutions, flame-retardant technologies, sustainable materials, and specialty resins.

Founded in 2013 in Suzhou Industrial Park, the LyondellBasell Suzhou Technology Center now has a professional team of engineers dedicated to driving customer-focused innovation across the region. Earlier this year, the Suzhou Technology Center was recognized as a “Foreign-funded R&D Center” by the Suzhou Municipal Government in acknowledgment of its capabilities and achievements.

This expansion strengthens the broader Asia-Pacific innovation network, which also includes recent investments in laboratories at Senai and Port Klang in Malaysia, as well as the Baroda Technology Center in India.