The Hague, April 15, 2026 – ARLANXEO, a global leader in performance elastomers, today inaugurated its Innovation Center Asia (ICA) in Changzhou, China. The new center was created by upgrading the existing Regional Technical Center (RTC) into an Asia hub for innovation, expanding ARLANXEO’s global R&D capabilities to better support the local market in China and beyond. 

The inauguration ceremony was addressed by Herman Dikland, Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer at ARLANXEO, and Hong Sun, Managing Director at ARLANXEO China. In addition, ARLANXEO representatives, valued customers, local authorities and university partners attended the ceremony.

The upgraded Innovation Center Asia features expanded space, a stronger team, and additional laboratory assets and capabilities. The Innovation Center Asia supports customers and projects in the fields of rubber compounding and processing; physical testing and chemical analysis of polymers, compounds and vulcanizates; battery application development, prototyping and testing; and now also offers a dedicated chemistry lab to support its new HNBR plant in Changzhou and global HNBR R&D activities. 

“Innovation is a core driver of ARLANXEO’s sustainable growth, and China plays an important role in our global innovation ecosystem. This state-of-the-art laboratory facility puts us in an excellent position to advance our R&D capabilities and reinforce our market position. We look forward to driving frontier innovation together with our passionate and creative China team, while bringing China-based innovation into solutions for global markets,” said Herman Dikland, Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer at ARLANXEO.

Located at ARLANXEO’s Changzhou site and adjacent to its EPDM and HNBR plants, the Innovation Center Asia is well positioned to drive local R&D and innovation through close collaboration with customers. Leveraging its strong compounding and processing know-how, and in-depth analytical expertise, the center will be instrumental in helping address evolving market demands. It will also complement ARLANXEO’s Innovation Center in Dormagen, Germany, by creating synergies in the development of new methods, exploring advanced equipment and technologies, and delivering innovative product solutions to customers worldwide. 

“The inauguration of the Innovation Center Asia reflects our commitment to supporting the rapid transformation of China’s rubber industry during the 15th Five-Year Plan period,” said Hong Sun, Managing Director at ARLANXEO China. “With growing demand for advanced materials and customized formulations, the new center will further strengthen our proximity to customers, enhance our agility in meeting market needs and better support the upgrading of the entire rubber industry.”

About ARLANXEO 
ARLANXEO is one of the world's largest synthetic rubber producers and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aramco, one of the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals companies. ARLANXEO develops, produces and markets high-performance rubbers with a presence at more than 10 production sites in eight countries and four innovation centers around the world. Its products are used in a wide range of applications ranging from the automotive and tire industries to the electrical, construction, and oil and gas industries. For more information, please visit www.arlanxeo.com. Follow us on LinkedIn. 
 
ARLANXEO in China 
Following the establishment of ARLANXEO in April 2016, ARLANXEO officially commenced operations in China on August 1, 2016. Headquartered in Changzhou, ARLANXEO has a staff of around 400 employees in China, with production facilities in Changzhou and Nantong, in addition to a sales and administration office in Shanghai. ARLANXEO is also a partner of a joint venture with TSRC Corporation located in Nantong. 
    
Forward-Looking Statements 
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by ARLANXEO 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. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments. 

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