Borouge, the joint venture of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and Austrian plastics manufacturer Borealis has begun work on a new innovation centre in Abu Dhabi, to be completed in 2011. The centre will join the fleet of Borealis centres across Europe, working closely with them as well as local educational institutions such as the Petroleum Institute of Abu Dhabi.
With a total investment of $70 million, and over 50 international researchers and engineers working on various innovations in compounding and plastics solutions specifically to meet the needs of customers, particularly in the Middle East.
Rashed Saud Al Shamsi, chairman of Borouge’s marketing company explains: “Putting customers’ needs at the centre of our planning is reflected in this investment. Through ongoing research and development, we can react to the market needs much quicker and we can work more closely with our value chain partners identifying together product development opportunities.”
