Covestro in China
Covestro supplies customers around the world in key industries such as mobility, building and living, as well as the electrical, electronics and telecommunications sector. In addition, polymers from Covestro are used in areas such as health, sports and leisure and the chemical industry itself.
The company, based in Leverkusen, Germany, is committed to becoming fully circular and helping to make the circular economy a global guiding principle. In addition, Covestro aims to achieve climate neutrality at operational level by 2035, while the whole group is set to be climate neutral by 2050. Covestro generated sales of EUR 14.2 billion in fiscal 2024. At the end of 2024, the company had 46 production sites worldwide and employed approximately 17,500 people (calculated as full-time equivalents).
Supporting China’s green transition
China is Covestro’s largest single market, with a 2024 turnover of EUR 3.2 billion, accounting for 23 percent of the company’s global sales. Covestro has been present in China for decades, engaging in a full range of business activities, including R&D, manufacturing and sales. The company is committed to supporting the country’s green transition, particularly in dynamic markets such as electric vehicles, renewable energy, consumer electronics and construction.
To date, Covestro’s cumulative investment in China has exceeded EUR 4 billion. In Greater China, Covestro operates 10 production sites, hosts an Asia-Pacific Innovation Center, and employs around 3,300 people. Recognized for its outstanding employee offerings, Covestro has been named a Top Employer in China for seven consecutive years by the Top Employers Institute.
World-class innovation for the World
Covestro takes a holistic approach to innovation. Established in 2001, the Polymer Research and Development Center (PRDC) in Shanghai has evolved into Covestro’s Asia-Pacific Innovation Center, dedicated to developing future-oriented technologies and more sustainable materials and solutions for China and beyond. Under the “Open Innovation Hub” concept, the center collaborates with customers, suppliers, start-ups and academia to explore new business models and digital R&D. By leveraging AI, simulation and robotics, it is digitizing and automating product and application development. Meanwhile, Covestro’s industry-academia-research network in China and Asia Pacific fosters open innovation by engaging value chain partners to accelerate the commercialization of scientific research while also cultivating future talent.
Upgraded Regional Headquarters
Covestro has grown from strength to strength through the years since its regional headquarters was established in Pudong, Shanghai in 2011. This was exemplified in 2020 when it became Covestro (Shanghai) Investment Co., Ltd., which accommodates more functions and greater business scope, including management, innovation, operations and investment. It now includes the global headquarters of the Business Entity Engineering Plastics, the Asia-Pacific headquarters of the Business Entity Coatings and Adhesives and the Business Entity Elastomers and the Asia-Pacific Innovation Center, among others. In 2020, Covestro (Shanghai) Investment Co., Ltd. was recognized by the city authority as the first global business unit headquarters of a multinational company in the metropolis.
State-of-the-art Production
In production, Covestro has since 2001 invested EUR 3.8 billion into building the Shanghai integrated site (CISS), the company’s largest worldwide. It is home to 12 plants equipped with the latest technologies, covering all major products that Covestro offers. It also houses Covestro’s first Process Technology Hub outside Europe, which provides tailored process technology solutions under a “local for local” and “local to global” concept. In 2021, the site received the ISCC PLUS mass balance certification, meaning it can supply customers with materials derived from recycled and bio-attributed products. In 2018, CISS became the first site in Shanghai Chemical Industry Park to receive the National Green Factory certificate for sustainability, and in 2024, earned the Shanghai Municipal-level Intelligent Plant title for its digital transformation and smart manufacturing achievements.
