A graceful investment
WR Grace & Co, a leading global supplier of chemicals, materials and services for the petroleum, plastics and construction industries, has officially opened its R&D center in Poznań.
The innovation center, located in the Poznań Science and Technology Park, joins Grace's commercial office in the city, in operation since 1998. The new center is run by the Adam Mickiewicz University Foundation.
The Poznań R&D facility will mainly serve customers from Central Europe. A team of nine PhD scientists employed at the center is working on the development of new technology platforms and products for customers in the packaging and construction industries.
"The opening of this center represents the increased focus on innovation in our company," said Fred Festa, Grace's president and CEO. "The investment in innovation in imperative for our future successes and growth," adds Festa.
Grace's European network comprises manufacturing facilities, labs and administrative offices in more than a dozen countries. "Our activities in Poland and the surrounding countries are important to our overall success in Europe, with revenues from the region surpassing $1 (zł.2.84) billion in 2006," added Festa.
The US-based company, estabilished in Maryland in 1832, has been present on the Polish market since 1992, when the first representative office was opened in Warsaw. Grace's offices in Poland are now also responsible for business relations with the Baltic countries, Ukraine, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Grace has about 6,500 employees worldwide and operations in more than 40 countries.
