Lubrizol Open Foam Centre In Asia

Lubrizol has announced the launch of a new Foam Centre of Excellence (COE) in Shanghai, China, and Seoul, Korea. This investment represents a milestone in Lubrizol's dedication to fostering collaborative growth, advancing sustainability, and driving innovation, given the company's extensive history of innovation in the footwear industry.

Located within Lubrizol's thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) innovation centers, the new Foam COE brings together scientists with significant expertise in material science, cutting edge processing technology, and comprehensive testing and analytics capabilities.  Lubrizol is at the forefront of transformative trends in physical foaming technology as a result of this holistic approach, which is supported by value chain collaboration. The Foam COE is on the brink of facilitating the creation of innovative midsole products that satisfy the needs for sustainability and performance.

"Asia Pacific is one of the world's most dynamic consumer markets, demanding continuous technological advancement and innovation." Jane Cai, Lubrizol's Senior Business Director in Asia Pacific, said, "Our Foam COE is uniquely positioned to blend global expertise with local insights, anticipate emerging needs, and bring groundbreaking TPU foam solutions that set new industry benchmarks."

"Physical foaming is rapidly emerging in the global midsole market, driven by its superior performance and advanced sustainability," Justin Park, Director of Lubrizol Global Footwear Marketing, added, "Our new facilities and capabilities at the Foam COE illustrate our local-for-global commitment, reflecting Lubrizol's dedication to meet local needs swiftly while delivering global impact."

With seamless cooperation and knowledge sharing among processors, brands, and other stakeholders, Lubrizol is building a dynamic, application-driven ecosystem within the footwear midsole industry with its new Foam COE. The Foam COE is a testament to the company's "local for global" strategy. This enables Lubrizol to adapt to evolving consumer preferences, regulatory requirements, and industry trends in key regions while sharing advanced technologies and best practices across markets. This fosters the next generation of innovation in the global footwear industry and ultimately support long-term sustainable development.

Source: Lubrizol