The Japanese company Mitsui Chemicals will set up a polypropylene compound plant and a European R&D center at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus this year. Part of one of the largest conglomerates in the world, the chemical giant chose Geleen because of its central location, available facilities, knowledge institutes, plus the fact that its neighbors are Japanese also played a part. “Actually, it was because of the entire ecosystem,” manager Marco van Putten says.
Construction workers are finalizing the foundations and the first contours of Mitsui PP Compound are already visible at the Chemelot site. The hope is that the plant will be producing the first batches of plastic granules by the beginning of 2020. “Semi-finished products for the automotive industry in Europe,” clarifies Marco van Putten, manager and closely involved in Mitsui’s first branch in the Netherlands. “We mix the ultra-lightweight polypropylene with various other components that car manufacturers and suppliers use to manufacture bumpers, dashboards and other parts. Our challenge is to make increasingly stronger and lighter compounds because even in the automotive industry every kilo counts. It’s a dynamic and innovative business, which is why we are also setting up an R&D center here at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus. Research and production go hand in hand.”
Chemicals
Mitsui is one of the oldest and largest conglomerates in Japan with annual sales of around 40 billion Euros and employs over 42,000 people who work at nearly 500 companies in 66 countries. The company owns hotels, banks, car manufacturers, manufacturing companies and a chemical branch that generates about a quarter of its total sales. Mitsui Chemicals’ choice for Geleen was made in 2018. “We already have a considerable market share as an automotive industry in Asia and America, but there are still great opportunities in Europe. Various options were of course examined and Chemelot ultimately proved to be the best choice. Land was immediately available here, the permits are ready and all the necessary facilities are available such as energy, raw materials, safety and so on. The infrastructure is also very important. The connections to the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp are excellent, as is the road and rail network to Europe. Logistics is essential for a company like ours.”
Ecosystem
What also played a role in the benchmark was the entire ecosystem and the corresponding Brightlands Chemelot Campus. “Definitely. We want to be part of a bigger picture. The campus here is home to 80 to 100 companies and has close connections to various universities and colleges as well as international knowledge workers. This, in turn, is very important for the R&D center at the Brighthouses we moved into in April. Cooperation and knowledge sharing are important to us, as are the pilot plants and laboratories. What really appeals to us are the sustainability ambitions. Mitsui wants to be a forerunner in that area too. Everyone here in Geleen is working on this, and we are happy to do our part.”
Positive
Mitsui is the third Japanese company to come to Geleen and will employ over 100 people over the course of 2020. Did the presence of Mitsubishi and Sekisui S-LEC play a role? “Not directly in the economic assessment,” Marco van Putten replies. “We did listen and gather information, however. The feedback was very positive. We were also made to feel very welcome during all of the discussions and negotiations. Management, government agencies; everyone was willing to help us with ideas and to resolve any bottlenecks. This was a signal our Japanese neighbors were already sending.”
Brightlands Chemelot Campus is attracting more and more foreign entrepreneurs. These are startups, but also large established multinationals from Japan for example. Following the examples set by Sekisui S-LEC and Mitsubishi Engineering Plastics, MitsuiChemicals will also come to Geleen this year with its own research center and a production facility. The three superpowers all cite the same reasons for coming to Limburg: the complete ecosystem with facilities and permits, availability of highly educated people and the central location in Europe. Our newsletter editors paid them a visit.
Read the story of SEKISUI S-LEC
Read the story of Mitsubishi Engineering Plastics
