Freudenberg Performance Materials opened a new Apparel Performance Materials R&D center at its Taoyuan facility in Taiwan on March 14th. Run by the world’s leading specialist in woven， knitted and nonwoven interlinings， the center will offer innovative solutions with local R&D support for apparel manufacturers across Asia. The new R&D center will focus on innovative developments in the field of performance apparel interlinings， sustainable solutions such as recycled fiber and biodegradable interlinings， adhesive technology as well as new processing technology. With a modern physical and chemical laboratory， it will help speed up product development， materials analysis and the use of sustainable technology. “Customer proximity and customer service have always been at the core of our successful development in the region. The new R&D center will enable us to be even better placed to meet the ever-increasing demands of our customers in the region for sustainable innovations and adhesive technology，” says Jonathan Oh， Head of Regional Business Unit Apparel Asia at Freudenberg Performance Materials. Freudenberg Performance Materials is a Business Group of the globally-active Freudenberg Group， which consistently pursues an investment policy based on the requirements of the regional markets in which it is active. In 2016， Freudenberg Group invested 282 million RMB in China. “Our overall investment concept in China is in line with market and customer requirements. We react to the growing demands of our customers for the development of innovations that meet the specific needs of the Chinese market，” says Bettina SchoenBehanzin， Freudenberg Regional Representative Asia. During the last 5 years， the Freudenberg Group has invested some 1.2 billion RMB in its sites， production facilities and technology centers in China. The Taoyuan factory where the new R&D center is located was established almost 30 years ago. Its more than 120 employees produce interlining materials for the apparel industry. The site has undertaken several sustainability projects， including energy and water savings programs， in an effort to minimize its environmental footprint. The positive impact of these initiatives is proven by certificates for clean processing， GRS（Global Recycle Standard）， and Oekotex100 class 1. The R&D center is the latest in a series of investments made by Freudenberg Performance Materials in the region. Last year the company opened its first Shirt Technology Center in Nantong， China， expanding its service and support for shirt manufacturers in Asia.
