Sumika Polymer Compounds Europe announced the creation of a subsidiary in Poznan, Poland, Sumika Polymer Compounds Poland Sp.z o.o. (SPCP). A new production site of about 5500 m² will be dedicated to compounded polypropylene manufacturing. This investment will provide 30,000 t/y of additional capacity for the group and will increase European production capacity to 170,000 t/y. Start of production with two compounding lines is scheduled for Q1/2022. The company expects the demand for PP compounds in the area to grow solidly with the spread of electric vehicles (EV) due to the tightening of environmental regulations.

Trinseo finalised the expansion of its thermoplastic elastomers R&D Center in Mussolente, Italy. The dedicated R&D center is led by Marco Meneghetti - Global TPE T&I Leader and it is supporting both of Trinseo’s manufacturing sites for soft plastics – Mussolente and Hsinchu. The facility, located on the premises of Trinseo’s main TPE manufacturing facility, has been under construction since February 2020. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit Italy especially hard, work continued with complete adherence to the plans laid out to prevent the spread of the virus.