Bayer MaterialScience to Establish Polyurethane Systems House in Thailand
January 19 , 2006
LEVERKUSEN -- Bayer MaterialScience AG plans to set up an integrated polyurethane systems house in Thailand. It will be incorporated into Bayer MaterialScience's global BaySystems network under the name BaySystems ASEAN. The world market leader for polyurethanes is thus demonstrating its commitment to expanding its network of systems houses in the Asia-Pacific region. The new company, located near Bangkok, will provide support to customers in ASEAN countries in particular, such as Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia, and is due to start operating at the beginning of 2007.
"We are looking to use the new systems house to enable us to benefit from the promising future growth in the ASEAN countries," said Frank Grunert, head of Bayer MaterialScience's Polyurethanes Business Unit in the Asia-Pacific region. "BaySystems ASEAN is a key addition to our other systems houses in the Asia-Pacific region." Dr. Joachim Dohm, Vice President BaySystems Integration in the Polyurethanes Business Unit at Bayer MaterialScience, added: "We'll be able to cater to our customers' needs in this region with a more customized and flexible service and we'll be right on their doorstep. We are looking to attract more customers to develop solutions with."
Bayer Jinling Polyurethane Co., Ltd., a joint venture between Bayer AG and Sinopec Jinling Petrochemical Corp. of Nanjing, China, has doubled its annual production capacity as planned. The products manufactured there are utilized in applications for the Chinese automotive industry, as insulating materials for cooling systems, in the construction industry, for container construction and for district heating pipes. The company was recently granted the status of Foreign Investment Advanced Technology Enterprise by the Chinese Department of Commerce, a testament to its leading position in the polyurethanes technology sector in China.
Engineering work is currently in full swing for the newly established systems house BaySystems India in New Delhi. Pre-marketing activities have now started too.
Under the BaySystems umbrella brand, Bayer's operations in the APAC region include a Taiwanese provider of polyurethane systems, Bayer Polyurethanes Taiwan Ltd. in Kaohsiung. Customers in Japan are served by Sumika Bayer Urethane Co. Ltd. in Amagasaki.
Bayer MaterialScience's systems house activities in Asia are accompanied by expansion of the Polymer Research and Development Center (PRDC) in Pudong near Shanghai. Once this is completed, the Polyurethanes Business Unit will boast a comprehensive range of facilities for providing technical service from the technology centers in Shanghai and Amagasaki, developing new applications, and training customers and staff.
This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in our public reports filed with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including our Form 20-F). The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.
