Swedish steelmaker SSAB has announced that it will build a research and development facility in Kunshan, China, in line with the company's strategy to establish a "strong footprint" in Asia.
As SteelOrbis previously reported, in May this year SSAB revealed that it would to establish a new finishing line in Kunshan, Jiangsu. The new line is expected to improve delivery performance, shorten lead times and provide value-added service to Chinese customers.
The research facility is part of the earlier communicated investment, which also includes a finishing line. The total investment to be made in Kunshan has been reported as SEK 320 million ($48.8 million).
The finishing line and the research facility are expected to be brought into commission in the middle of 2011 and in the third quarter of 2011 respectively.
"SSAB will set up a research and development center in Kunshan, which will focus on workshop expertise and development of the application of high strength steels. Chinese customers will receive training on how to use the material in the best way to enhance production efficiency and benefit from SSAB's customer project experience to improve product structural design," said Martin Pei Ph. D, president of SSAB APAC.