Saint-Fons, France — Elkem Silicones will build a new research and development center at its Saint-Fons production site.
The project is expected to be operational at the end of 2020 with work scheduled to begin in March of 2019. Elkem's $28.5 million investment will bring together 130 European research and development employees under one roof.
The new site will span about 64,600 square feet with the aim of reinforcing collaborative research within silicones teams. Elkem said its R&D personnel has increased by 11 percent in France and more than 20 percent worldwide.
Headquartered in Lyon, France, Elkem Silicones employs about 3,100 people with nine multi-functional manufacturing sites and 11 R&D centers worldwide.
The firm is a unit of Elkem A.S.A., based on Oslo, Norway, with annual revenues of $2.6 billion and 6,000 employees throughout 27 production sites worldwide. The firm says it's one of the world's leading providers of silicones and silicon products.