OREANDA-NEWS. Based at Michigan Innovation Headquarters, a co-work campus facility in Ann Arbor, the center consists of several labs for R&D and analytics. Projects WACKER intends to pursue right from the start include health and medical care applications, solutions for coatings and paints, silicone-based softeners, and personal care products. The labs will be operated by Wacker Chemical Corporation (WCC), WACKER’s Adrian, MI, based subsidiary for North, Central and South America, and staffed with highly specialized experts in the field of silicone and polymer chemistry.

“Our facility is among several high-tech development operations in a 90,000 square foot co-work campus,“ said David Wilhoit, WCC President and CEO. “This scientific co-work community is ideal for WACKER, and for very good reason: It puts us in the midst of a business incubator atmosphere where ideas can be developed and brought quickly to market.”

Main considerations for selecting the Ann Arbor location were based upon the availability of highly skilled talent pools, close proximity to respected area universities and to WACKER’s production site in Adrian. “With Ann Arbor considered a technology hub, it complements the company’s business model to be close to its customers and close to regional market trends,” Wilhoit pointed out.

According to Robert Gnann, head of the Group’s silicone division WACKER SILICONES, the research and development center continues WACKER’s expansion of its global R&D footprint. “We already have R&D operations in Germany and in Asia. Our R&D center in Ann Arbor, combined with our Adrian site, furthers the strategic regionalization of WACKER’s global network of research and development”, Gnann explained. “Our aim is to offer long-term technical assistance for customers and support WACKER’s future business growth. By enhancing research efforts in the field of silicone technology, our emphasis will be on developing new and advanced applications in growth markets such as health, medical and personal care, electronics, life sciences and coatings.”

About WACKER

WACKER (www.wacker.com) is a globally active chemical group headquartered in Munich, Germany. With a wide range of state-of-the-art specialty products, WACKER is a leader in numerous fields and industries. Its products are required in countless high-growth end-user sectors, such as photovoltaics, electronics, pharmaceuticals and household/personal-care products. In 2015, the Group generated sales of some €5.3 billion with a staff of 17,000 employees. Founded in 1914, WACKER operates 25 production sites, supplying over 3,200 products to more than 3,500 customers worldwide. The Group maintains subsidiaries and sales offices in 31 countries across Europe, the Americas and Asia – including a strong foothold in China.