LANXESS has been very successful in establishing and exploiting development partnerships.

Qingdao

In Qingdao, China, LANXESS opened a center for rubber research in 2008. The research center cooperates with the National Key Laboratory for Rubber and Plastics of the Qingdao University of Science and Technology (QUST) and is located in its direct vicinity.

The location close to QUST allows the co-supervisory of PhD students with professors from QUST. The PhD students have the opportunity to do research work on an innovative rubber product design and development while taking their theoretical education at the university. This way, the cooperation creates a win-win situation for LANXESS and the students: PhD graduates will have an excellent education from the leading rubber university in China, working experience at one of the world’s largest synthetic rubber manufacturers and a good knowledge of the company’s products.

Beijing

The Performance Butadiene Rubbers Business Unit has entered into a cooperation agreement with the Beijing Research & Design Insititute of Rubber Industry in 2007. Among other things, this highly acclaimed institute will help LANXESS to sound out and tap into the fastest-growing tire market in the world. It will also support LANXESS customers in the application of high-performance polybutadiene rubber and solution styrene butadiene rubber.

BRDI is the national testing center for tires as well as the leading research institute. It has advanced equipment and expertise in research on tire and rubber articles, engineering design as well as testing of rubber and rubber articles.