Dow strengthens China ties through innovation at CIIE

Dow Inc, a United States-based materials science company and eight-time participant in the China International Import Expo, has brought nearly 100 technologies and products to the event in Shanghai this year, spanning sectors such as intelligent manufacturing, new energy, mobility, sustainable packaging and consumer goods.

"What we are seeing now is that China is really pushing forward especially with the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), shifting to high-quality development and increasingly creating demand for low-carbon industries — which in turn generates new demand for higher-performing materials," said Brendy Lange, president of Dow Performance Materials and Coatings and executive overseer of Dow's business in Asia-Pacific.

"As the country continues to set out its vision for the future, it gives us confidence that it is the place we can continue to invest in," Lange added.

Committed to enhancing its presence in China, the US company opened a new cooling science studio at the Shanghai Dow Center, its Asia Pacific innovation and commercial hub, last week.

The studio, the first of its kind for Dow globally, is designed to accelerate collaboration with customers in China and deliver more sustainable and innovative cooling solutions to meet the needs of burgeoning artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, robotics and automation industries both today and in the future, he added.

China remains Dow's second-largest market globally, ranking as the company's top international growth destination. The Shanghai Dow Center is the company's largest integrated research and development center outside the US, employing about 300 researchers and housing 80 laboratories.

Lange highlighted that since its debut at the CIIE, Dow has signed about 70 cooperation agreements with Chinese customers to explore new collaborations and drive innovation.

"This year alone, nearly 20 new agreements were concluded, reflecting the accelerating pace of innovation in the country," said Lange, adding that demand for high-performance materials has risen sharply over the five years.

He added that the CIIE has played a crucial role in creating a platform for capturing such opportunities and deepening partnerships in China's evolving industrial landscape.