Qingdao, June 12, 2023 - ARLANXEO today announced the continuation of its partnership with Qingdao University of Science and Technology (QUST), marking the 19th consecutive year of bilateral cooperation. A signing ceremony for a Memorandum of Understanding between ARLANXEO and QUST was held at the School of Polymer Science and Engineering. With its long-term commitment to developing local talent, ARLANXEO continues to invest in enriching the talent pipeline, and thus, support the upgrading of the synthetic rubber industry in China. 

The ceremony was attended by Kezheng Chen, Principal of QUST, Wanxiang Lv, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice Principal of QUST, Dr. Herman Dikland, Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer, ARLANXEO, and Dr. Baojia Cheng, Head of TSAD, Asia, ARLANXEO. The ARLANXEO Handbook of Synthetic Rubber (both in English and Mandarin) were also presented to the faculty during the ceremony. 

“We are delighted to continue our partnership with QUST, one of China’s top universities in the area of rubber. ARLANXEO will continue to support the faculty and students with our technical expertise in synthetic rubber, and we believe that our ongoing collaboration will accelerate the pace of innovation in the rubber industry,” said Dr. Herman Dikland, Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer, ARLANXEO.

Over the past decade, ARLANXEO and QUST completed collaborative projects including Open Day events, scholarships, innovation research projects and technical lectures. In the new extended partnership, ARL will focus on scientific projects, including:

• Outstanding Engineers Class: ARLANXEO’s experts will share insights into the rubber industrialization and advanced processing technologies with aspiring engineers.
• Scientific research collaboration: ARLANXEO will support QUST's education and scientific research in the area of rubber. Additionally, new scientific projects will be initiated to foster the development of the School of Polymer Science and Engineering.
• Expert lectures: ARLANXEO’s experts will deliver lectures to students at QUST in cutting-edge technologies and provide insights into industry trends of synthetic rubber. 

Hong Sun, Managing Director at ARLANXEO China, commented: “Developing young talent for the rubber industry is a key focal point of ARLANXEO’s corporate social responsibility program. Through the continued partnership with QUST, we will play an important role in developing the next generation of innovative rubber engineers.” 

ARLANXEO has also partnered with Changzhou University, Changzhou Vocational Institute of Engineering, and the South China University of Technology in China. 

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 12 production sites in 9 countries and 7 innovation centers around the world. Its products are used in a wide range of applications: from the automotive and tire industries to the electrical, construction, and oil and gas industries.

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 370 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.