Leverkusen/Shanghai/Macau - LANXESS, the world’s leading producer of synthetic rubber, will host its first-ever ‘China Rubber Days’ from June 28 to 29, 2010, in Macau, Greater China, themed ‘Driving sustainable growth through high-tech innovation’.

More than 300 representatives from the industry, academia, government and media will join together at this world-class event to exchange ideas and learn more about synthetic rubber, which helps shape modern life today.

Dr. Axel C. Heitmann – Chairman of the LANXESS Board of Management – Professor Ma Lianxiang – President of the Qingdao University of Science and Technology - are among many of the distinguished guests, who will be delivering keynote speeches at the event. In addition, there will be numerous product presentations as well as panel discussions hosted by senior executives from LANXESS.

Topics for discussion include the future development of the Chinese economy, the market potential of high-tech synthetic rubber, the role this versatile product plays in spearheading innovation, and how industry can rise to the challenge of balancing rapid economic growth and environmental protection.

“LANXESS wants to grow hand-in-hand with its Chinese customers in the booming local market for synthetic rubber, which is expected to grow by seven to eight percent per year within the next five years,” said LANXESS’ Dr. Heitmann. “China has already established itself as the world’s largest automobile and tire producer and is quite rightly demanding the highest levels of innovation. This is exactly what LANXESS products can deliver.”

LANXESS’ first quarter results benefited in particular from strong demand for synthetic rubber in countries such as China, whose growing middle-class is embracing the mega trend of mobility. For example, sales in the Chinese tire market are expected to increase almost fourfold by 2019 from 2008 levels.

Synthetic rubber is not only the basis for countless innovations in automotive engineering and tire design but also in the fields of energy generation, sports, medicine, and aerospace. Synthetic rubber was invented in 1909 by Professor Fritz Hofmann in the German city of Wuppertal, and LANXESS carries on his legacy by developing high-quality and reliable synthetic rubber innovations for the Chinese domestic market.

In May, LANXESS announced a joint venture to build a new nitrile rubber (NBR) plant in Nantong, Jiangsu province, with a total investment of 50 million USD. The plant, expected to start up in 2012, will have an initial capacity of 30,000 metric tons per year and is going to serve the rapidly growing Chinese market with high-quality grades of NBR.  

Last month, LANXESS additionally broke ground for the construction of a new, state-of-the-art butyl rubber plant in Singapore, which will also serve the Chinese market. This new plant will go on stream in the first quarter of 2013 with an annual capacity of 100,000 metric tons. At EUR 400 million, it represents the largest investment in the company’s history.

In addition, the company’s innovative credentials are underlined by its research and development activities at a newly founded center in Qingdao, Shandong province, representing an investment of USD 16 million. LANXESS is working closely with the Qingdao University of Science and Technology (QUST) to develop high quality and eco-friendly products, prepare the commercialization of future inventions, and train staff with advanced technical expertise to meet the needs of customers in China.

Throughout the two-day event, participants will have the opportunity to experience synthetic rubber up close at the company’s audio-visual exhibition of products ranging from high-performance tires that are fuel-efficient to golf balls that fly further – all owed to LANXESS rubber.

LANXESS hosted the first World Rubber Day in Cologne, Germany, on September 12, 2009, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the invention of synthetic rubber. Over 400 guests from 18 nations attended the event to learn more about the latest innovations and market potential of this versatile material. As the world’s leading producer of synthetic rubber, LANXESS not only continues to expand its rubber production network globally but is also creating greater awareness of this trend-shaping product. The company will be holding similar rubber events in São Paulo, Brazil, on September 22-24 and in New Delhi, India, on December 3, 2010.


LANXESS is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 5.06 billion in 2009 and currently around 14,300 employees in 23 countries. The company is represented at 42 production sites worldwide. The core business of LANXESS is the development, manufacturing and marketing of plastics, rubber, intermediates and specialty chemicals.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by LANXESS AG management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

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