DuPont sets up Asean innovation HQ in S'pore

Singapore

US CHEMICALS firm DuPont is setting up a new innovation and business headquarters in Singapore to deliver new products customised for South-east Asia.

The new headquarters will operate from a 11,000 square metre facility which will open in Biopolis next year. It will house nearly 200 scientists, engineers and business leaders, and will grow to over 300 employees by 2020. It will be part of DuPont's global network of 13 innovation centres and 150 research and development centres worldwide.

DuPont, the world's fourth largest chemical company by market value, has been in Singapore since 1973 and has a headcount of about 180 here. It currently has a regional business, marketing and administrative office in HarbourFront, and also has two plants in Tuas and one on Jurong Island. The firm is also present in eight South-east Asian countries.

Said its senior vice-president and chief science and technology officer Douglas Muzyka: "DuPont's powerful innovation pipeline is driven by our unique combination of science and engineering, strong execution and global reach. The DuPont Singapore Asean headquarters will bring us closer than ever to our Asean customers so that together we can quickly develop and deliver innovative solutions for the region and the world."

South-east Asia, which has delivered consistent growth for DuPont, is becoming increasingly important for the New York-listed firm, it said. The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) said it is pleased that DuPont has chosen Singapore as the base in Asean.

"DuPont will be able to leverage the inter-disciplinary research capabilities in the publicly-funded research institutes and universities in Singapore to innovate new products and solutions to meet the needs of an increasingly sophisticated Asean," said EDB energy and chemicals director Cindy Koh. It will also create exciting job opportunities for Singaporeans, enabling them to be at the forefront of science, she added.

DuPont this month saw a shift in leadership as former CEO Ellen Kullman announced her surprise retirement, effective last Friday. Board member Edward Breen has taken over as CEO and chairman on an interim basis.Mr Breen, who joined DuPont's board in February this year, is best known for helping security systems company Tyco International recover from a scandal and then breaking it up by hiving off two units. He remains chairman of Tyco.