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Umicore to Build Technology Development Center for Automotive Catalysts in China

Umicore signed a memorandum of understanding with the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) authorities for the construction of a technology development center for automotive catalysts in Suzhou, China. The centre will be built close to Umicore’s current automotive catalyst production facility in Suzhou.

The technology development center is due to be commissioned by mid-2012. The facility will mainly serve the system development and emission testing needs of the Chinese market and its customer base for a wide range of light duty vehicle drivetrains, including gasoline and diesel engines as well as alternative drivetrains such as hybrid electric vehicles.

The new investment represents a significant milestone in the development of Umicore’s automotive catalyst business in China, complementing our local production. The Chinese car market is growing rapidly and this, coupled with the increasing stringent emission legislation, justified the investment in a dedicated applied technology center. This fits with our regional approach, whereby regions with specific legislation requirements supported by a sizeable market have dedicated local production and technology development centre facilities. Such facilities are already in place in Europe, North America, South America, Japan and Korea.

—Bill Staron, Umicore’s Executive Vice-President for Automotive Catalysts

Umicore is a leading supplier of automotive catalysts in China and globally. Umicore first established an automotive catalyst production operation in China in 2005 and has since continued to increase capacity and capabilities of the plant, the most recent expansion having been commissioned in 2008. Earlier this year an investment in further capacity expansion and capability enhancement was announced, which will be operational by mid-2010.

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