The Chinese multinational WANHUA, one of the world's largest chemical companies, will open an innovation center in Catalonia

The Minister of Business and Labour, Roger Torrent, announced this Wednesday from Yantai (China) that the Chinese multinational WANHUA will open an innovation center in Catalonia. WANHUA is one of the largest chemical companies in the world, with more than 27,000 employees worldwide, and until now, it has only been present in Hungary and the Czech Republic. WANHUA investment project in Catalonia is supported by ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment.

“This is Wanhua's first investment in Southern Europe, and it has chosen Catalonia to develop its activity”

Roger Torrent, Minister of Business and Labour of Catalonia

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Minister Torrent made this announcement at the Chinese company's headquarters after a meeting during his institutional mission to China.

The head of Business and Labour said he was "very proud and satisfied with this announcement", stressing that "this is the company's first investment in Southern Europe, and it has chosen Catalonia to develop its activity".

The Minister added that this new investment "speaks very well of the chemical industry ecosystem in our country" and assured that "we are the hub of the chemical industry in Southern Europe". During his speech, the Minister explained that the purpose of the trip was precisely "to meet with companies that can invest in Catalonia now or in the future, to strengthen relationships and look for joint opportunities".

WANHUA, the Chinese multinational, plans to establish a new business and technical center in Cornellà, Barcelona, by the end of 2023. The primary goal of this center is to support the company's business development in Europe. The center will include a laboratory and office space focusing on developing new technical solutions specifically for the European market. It will act as an innovation platform that generates new ideas and technologies. Additionally, the center will attract talented professionals to the company and provide timely technical services to European customers.

With over 5,000 registered patents, WANHUA manufactures various chemicals, including polyurethanes, performance chemicals, and emerging materials for multiple sectors, such as automotive, green energy, construction, and electronics. It has ten production centers in Yantai, Ningbo, Sichuan, Fujian, and Zhuhai and subsidiaries in the United States, Japan, Brazil, and other locations.

In fact, in the last five years, foreign investment from China in Catalonia has reached 1,164 million euros, which has led to the creation of 2,100 new jobs, according to ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment data from the Financial Times' fDi Markets. There are currently 114 subsidiaries of Chinese companies in Catalonia.