Braskem, a petrochemical company, recently invested $10 million to expand its U.S. Innovation and Technology (I&T) Center located in Pittsburgh.
The facility, a polymer research center, is the company’s largest. The expansion will add eight research and development laboratories to foster technologies that support catalysis, recycling, and 3D printing. This complements the facility’s existing research and lab capabilities.
The new laboratories support the company’s Carbon Neutral Circular Economy goals.
“The successful completion of our U.S. I&T Center expansion is designed to house the latest, cutting-edge equipment for research, which will allow Braskem to explore new avenues for growth,” Srivatsan Iyer, Braskem vice president of strategy, planning and innovation, and technology, said. “These new world class laboratories complement the diverse expertise of our I&T team members and support Braskem’s innovation goals, especially in the critical areas of circular economy, sustainability, recycling as well as additive manufacturing. The Braskem team’s efforts to safely complete this ambitious investment project amid a worldwide pandemic really speaks to the commitment of Braskem towards technology development, and the confidence we have in the future, both as a company and as a client-centric, technology innovator.”
Braskem America is headquartered in Philadelphia and is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Braskem S.A.