DuPont expanding Hyderabad knowledge centre

Technology leader DuPont on Tuesday announced plans to expand its knowledge center at Hyderabad, to work in the areas of the three global megatrends of food, energy and protection. DuPont said it is adding space and facilities in India as part of an expanded global research programme in seed traits and for new application development tailored to India.

It may be noted that DuPont has a global collaboration agreement with US seeds major Monsanto for developing seed traits.

''The last four years has been an exciting journey at DuPont Knowledge Center. Our work at this center is focused on global as well as local market needs. The intellectual property we are developing will enable us to commercialize products from our innovation pipeline,'' Homi C Bhedwar, Technical Director, South Asia and ASEAN, DuPont, said,

''The proposed expansion at the DuPont Knowledge Center demonstrates the company's focus on India, a strategic market for DuPont. I am confident that these proposed new application development capabilities will strengthen the company's innovation pipeline and help accelerate our growth in the region by developing local solutions that will address our customer needs in key growth segments,'' Rajeev Vaidya, president – South Asia, DuPont, added.

The DuPont Knowledge Center is one of the global centers of excellence for DuPont. Set up in November 2008, it is celebrating its fourth anniversary today. The proposed expansions at the center include facility for global research in agriculture biotechnology.

This supports the company's seed trait discovery research. DuPont Knowledge Center in India is rapidly transitioning into a key integrated resource for the DuPont Pioneer business and is its largest R&D Center outside the US.

Application development facilities will develop solutions tailored to local market demands and customer needs for five DuPont businesses.

These include:

• DuPont Industrial Biosciences application development capabilities for fabric care, textile processing and grain processing;
  
• DuPont Performance Polymers development facilities for light-weight applications for the growing automotive market in India;
  
• DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers labs with capabilities to develop applications in food packaging;
  
• DuPont Titanium Technologies facilities that will use the company's expertise in particle technology and polymer processing for applications in plastics; and
  
• DuPont Protection Technologies development facilities that will leverage the company's flagship products under the DuPont Kevlar and DuPont Nomex brands for automotive applications like tires, conveyor belts, hoses, others.

DuPont Knowledge Center is the company's only R&D center outside the USA that has developmental activities in the food, energy and protection areas under one roof. It undertakes advanced research in agriculture biotechnology, crop protection, industrial biotechnology such as biomaterials & biofuels, and advanced material applications in high-performance polymers, alternative energy and protection.