New Covestro TPU Facility in Guangzhou Strengthens Regional Customer Collaboration and Material Innovation

Covestro opens its new TPU Application Development Center in Guangzhou, China. From left: Edward Zhou (Managing Director of Guangzhou Site), Christian Haessler (Head of Innovation TPU), Holly Lei (President of Covestro China), Andrea Maier-Richter (Global Head of TPU), Kevin Ho (Head of TPU Sales and Market Development APAC) and Frank Yang (Head of TPU Innovation APAC). © Covestro

(IN BRIEF) Covestro has opened a new TPU Application Development Center in Guangzhou, China, as part of its strategy to strengthen innovation and customer collaboration across Asia-Pacific. The facility complements the company’s TPU production site in Zhuhai and R&D center in Changhua, creating an integrated regional network focused on research, application development and manufacturing. The center will support industries including consumer electronics, automotive, healthcare and specialty films while helping customers accelerate product development and material customization.

(PRESS RELEASE) LEVERKUSEN, 20-May-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Covestro has officially opened a new Thermoplastic Polyurethanes (TPU) Application Development Center in Guangzhou, China, strengthening the company’s regional innovation and manufacturing capabilities across the Asia-Pacific market.

The new facility forms part of Covestro’s broader strategy to position research, application development and production activities closer to customers in some of the region’s fastest-growing industrial sectors. The Guangzhou center now joins the company’s recently launched large-scale TPU production site in Zhuhai and its established regional research and development center in Changhua, creating a fully integrated network covering innovation, product development and manufacturing operations.

Covestro said the expansion comes as demand for TPU materials continues to grow rapidly across Asia-Pacific, particularly in South China, where industries such as consumer electronics, automotive manufacturing, specialty films and advanced materials are experiencing strong development.

According to Andrea Maier-Richter, Global Head of TPU at Covestro, the Guangzhou Application Development Center represents a key part of the company’s strategy to expand into high-value and emerging application segments throughout the region. The company plans to work closely with customers on developing TPU applications for sectors including robotics, healthcare and mobility solutions.

The new Covestro TPU Application Development Center in Guangzhou — designed to co-create tailored material solutions with customers at the heart of South China’s most dynamic industries. © Covestro

The facility has been designed to accelerate product development and shorten commercialization timelines for customers. Processing simulation lines at the center replicate real-world manufacturing conditions for extrusion and injection molding, allowing Covestro engineers to rapidly test formulations, modify materials and optimize solutions based on specific application requirements.

Covestro said these capabilities are intended to help customers reduce testing cycles, improve development efficiency and bring products to market faster.

Holly Lei, President of Covestro China, stated that the new center reflects the company’s commitment to supporting fast-moving industries in Asia by combining technical expertise and regional collaboration capabilities within one location in South China.

A notable feature of the Guangzhou center is the integration of multiple business divisions within the same site. Teams from Covestro’s Engineering Plastics and Specialty Films units are co-located at the facility, allowing cross-functional collaboration and faster integration of technologies and materials expertise.

The Engineering Plastics division contributes compounding and color-matching capabilities, supporting applications in consumer electronics, footwear and paint protection films, while the Specialty Films division enables pilot production and product commissioning for high-performance films and extrusion-based products.

Christian Haessler, Head of Global Innovation TPU at Covestro, said the company sees TPU as an important material for supporting more sustainable industrial solutions and circular economy goals. He added that the Guangzhou center will support the development of recyclable and versatile TPU materials within one of the world’s most active industrial innovation ecosystems.

The new center is now open to customers and partners across Asia-Pacific and will provide support ranging from material consultation and application testing to pilot production and troubleshooting.

Covestro, one of the world’s major producers of polymer materials and related technologies, reported sales of EUR 12.9 billion in fiscal year 2025 and operates 46 production sites globally with approximately 17,600 employees. The company has also committed to achieving climate neutrality for its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2035, while targeting climate neutrality for Scope 3 emissions by 2050.

Media Contact:

Royce Zhang
royce.zhang@covestro.com
+49 214 6009 2913

Richard Fu
Corporate Communications, Covestro China
richard.fu@covestro.com

SOURCE: Covestro