Saudi petrochemicals major Sabic (Riyadh; www.sabic.com) has recently opened technology centres in Shanghai / China and Bengaluru / India. The two new centres each required an initial investment of about USD 100m (EUR 74m), and focus on the development of materials for sectors such as construction, clean energy, electrics and electronics, medical devices and transportation. In Shanghai, a particular focus is on portable consumer electronics.

The 60,000 m² Chinese centre houses nearly 500 employees including 170 application development and materials technologists. It also serves as the new "Greater China" head office for all Shanghai-based employees. The 187,000 m² Bengaluru, in the state of Karnataka and a global IT hub, houses more than 300 scientists from India.

Sabic said the two facilities join a network of 17 global R&D centres – see Plasteurope.com of 30.01.2013. The company also announced it is strengthening its academic partnerships in China via an agreement with Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) to research and develop advanced processing technologies to produce chemicals from alternative feedstocks.