US-based DuPont has started construction on its first Chinese research and development (R&D) center in Shanghai with a planned RMB 124 million investment.
The new center, due to open in early 2005, will be located in Zhangjiang high-tech park in the Pudong district and will employ 200 scientists.
DuPont only has two other comprehensive R&D facilities outside the US, Europe and Japan.
DuPont now has 23 wholly-owned and JV manufacturing facilities and three branches around China with a total investment of US$700 million and plans to invest an additional US$100 million on average annually in China over the next three years.