SHANGHAI, Feb. 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Liquide has inaugurated its new Shanghai Research & Technology Center (SRTC) just after celebrating the 20-year anniversary of its Engineering & Construction facilities in Hangzhou, a city of Zhejiang province in Eastern China, illustrating the long-term commitment of the Group in China.
On February 25, 2016, Air Liquide inaugurated its new Shanghai Research and Technology Center (SRTC), located in the Shanghai Xinzhuang Industrial Park, in the city's Minhang District. This new center will ultimately host 250 employees, including researchers, experts in customer applications and business development teams. It will become a major center for the Group's innovation in the Asia-Pacific region.
The SRTC will help Chinese customers and consumers benefit from Air Liquide's innovative solutions and global innovation network to tackle environmental and societal challenges. The center will address issues such as energy transition, CO2 emissions reduction, waste water treatment, urban air quality, food safety, and healthcare.
Covering 12,000 square meters of laboratories, offices, showroom and pilot demonstration platforms, the center represents an investment of € 25 million, announced in 2014. The building is designed in compliance with LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design), a global standard in sustainable building that factors in efficient water management, good use of energy, and the reduction of emissions.
The inauguration follows the celebration of the 20-year anniversary of Air Liquide Engineering & Construction in Hangzhou. Key player providing innovative solutions related to industrial gases, the Engineering & Construction site in Hangzhou is specialized in designing, manufacturing and constructing leading-edge air separation units, syngas purification units and other industrial gas plants, operated in China and abroad. Founded in 1995, the site has grown to be a major manufacturing and engineering center of the Group with nearly 700 employees.
François Darchis, Senior Vice-President, member of the Air Liquide group's Executive Committee, supervising Innovation, commented: "We are extremely pleased to simultaneously celebrate these two events in Shanghai and in Hangzhou, illustrating commitment to grow in China over the long term. This has been made possible with the help of the local authorities, partnerships with our customers, and connections with academia and more generally, with the innovation ecosystems."
Air Liquide China
Operates nearly 90 plants and employs about 4,500 employees with a strong presence in the key coastal industrial areas, and is expanding into the center, south and west. Its main business activities include industrial and medical gas operations, as well as Engineering & Construction (designing, manufacturing and installing air separation units/hydrogen facilities).
The Engineering & Construction activity (Air Liquide Global E&C Solutions)
The Engineering & Construction activity of the Air Liquide group (Air Liquide Global E&C Solutions) builds the Group's production units (mainly Air Separation Units and hydrogen production units) and also supplies external customers with its portfolio of cryogenics solutions and Lurgi technologies. Its industrial gas, energy conversion and gas purification solutions enable customers to optimize the use of natural resources. Air Liquide Global E&C Solutions covers the entire project life-cycle: licensing & engineering services / proprietary equipment, high-end engineering & design capabilities, as well as project management & execution services. Its exclusive and innovative technologies are making a contribution to the energy sector.
Innovation, one of the pillars of the Group's strategy
6,200 employees contribute to innovation around the world, mostly in three entities: Research & Development, Global Markets & Technologies, and Engineering & Construction. They explore new territories, business models, technologies and services, and they support innovation from idea to market maturity.
Air Liquide has over 1,000 researchers of 35 nationalities. R&D teams are based in 9 locations in Europe, Asia, and the United States, connected to world-class innovation ecosystems.
About Air Liquide Group
World leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health, Air Liquide is present in 80 countries with more than 50,000 employees and serves more than 2 million customers and patients. Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen have been at the core of the company's activities since its creation in 1902. Air Liquide's ambition is to be the leader in its industry, delivering long-term performance and acting responsibly.
Air Liquide ideas create value over the long term. At the core of the company's development are the commitment and constant inventiveness of its people.
Air Liquide anticipates the challenges of its markets, invests locally and globally, and delivers high-quality solutions to its customers and patients, and the scientific community.
The company relies on competitiveness in its operations, targeted investments in growing markets and innovation to deliver profitable growth over the long-term.
Air Liquide's revenues amounted to € 16.4 billion in 2015 and its solutions that protect life and the environment represented more than 40% of sales. Air Liquide is listed on the Paris Euronext stock exchange (compartment A) and is a member of the CAC 40 and Dow Jones Euro Stoxx 50 indexes.
Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20160225/0861601488-a
Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20160225/0861601488-b
