FMC Corp opened an Asia Innovation Center in the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park in Pudong, Shanghai on July 24. FMC is a diversified chemical company operating for over a century, and the new center will serve as the company's hub for technical innovation, research and development, operational support and executive management in the Asia Pacific region.

FMC Corporation President Pierre Brondeau (foreground), along with US Ambassador to China, Max Baucus, attend the opening ceremony of FMC's Asia Innovation Center in Shanghai. [Photo/ Pudong Times]

The nine-story Asia Innovation Center is a state-of-the-art building covering 22,000 sq meters, including laboratories and office space, and approximately 60 percent of areas are dedicated to R&D labs, which are world-class laboratories for crop protection research and have unique facilities to develop new functional ingredients used in the health and nutrition markets. Four Shanghai offices of FMC have moved to the new center, staffed by more than 180 scientists, technicians, sales and marketing personnel, support staff, and executive leaders.

"The Asia Innovation Center represents our commitment to this important region and underscores our resolve to meet the growing technology needs of diverse customers and markets throughout the Asia Pacific region," said Pierre Brondeau, FMC president.

Gordon Xu, president of FMC China, believed that the new center will help the company attract and retain the best employees.