International. Merck announced a few days ago the opening of its new application laboratory for the performance materials sector, which will be located in Shanghai, China.
The Technology Application Network China (TANC) underlines the company's position in pigments and functional materials. The company explained that this marks the continuation of a 20-year commitment to supply materials and application technology services to China and Southeast Asia for the products.
The new and expanded application lab at The Jinqiao headquarters in Shanghai's Pudong District is the first application lab in China that Merck launched to offer comprehensive, customized services for its products and to seek and foster creative collaboration with customers for new applications and formulations.
This collaboration began in 1998 with the opening of the first site at Fudan University in Shanghai, based on the example of the Merck Customer Care Center. The TANC initially focused on printing applications, with three expansions over the years leading to additional application fields – ranging from plastics, coatings and cosmetic applications, dispersion paints and powder coating technologies, quality control and cosmetic testing.
Merck explains that China is one of the fastest growing markets for its pigments and cosmetics businesses. Many of China's most popular and well-known brand manufacturers rely on Merck pigments and functional materials and leverage TANC when developing new products.
