Bayer AG’s subsidiary Bayer MaterialScience AG (BMS) is interested to work alongside various parties to produce “real solutions” for the construction of green buildings in Malaysia.
Chairman of the board of management of BMS Patrick Thomas told Get Real that the growth of the sustainable construction industry is important and BMS’ technologies can provide the solutions.
“We believe there are good business opportunities here and we have set up an EcoCommercial Building programme that brings together partners from the construction industry ranging from lightings, insulation, IT and building services to alternative energy systems.
“We have a strong network of capabilities which we integrate together. These are applicable to constructing housing units, factories and buildings to the same standard.
“It is good investment using our technologies which pay for themselves sensibly without damaging the environment. Buildings are a significant source of carbon emission which we should be working on.”
Thomas said BMS is looking at offering the building industry the complete range of products from wood boards to photovoltaic panels and insulation materials.
For example, agricultural waste products such as water hyacinths combined with polyurethane binder can be turned into wood boards for construction; polycarbonate glazing for roofing and windows; and integrated materials for photovoltaic panels, he added.
Recently, BMS launched its regional innovation hub for Asia Pacific at the Polymer Research and Development Center (PDRC) in Shanghai, China. It is a state-of-the-art facility based on Bayer’s global standard for its polyurethane, polycarbonates and coating businesses.
At the hub, Bayer together with its customers plans to develop novel ideas in using high-performance plastics, foams and coatings in the mobility, construction, IT and renewable energy sectors.
Part of the 333,681sq ft PDRC, the hub sits in the heart of a network of innovation facilities across Asia Pacific and provides support to R&D facilities in Korea, Taiwan, India and Japan. It also serves as a capability-building centre to attract local talent and enhance knowledge-building and transfer.
“Our regional innovation hub will become a significant contributor to our overall innovation network. Our vision is for it to become indispensable in terms of competencies, projects and products.
“We aim to reach a global innovation footprint for Bayer and its partners by exporting China-made technologies to the world by 2020,” said Thomas.
Under its EcoCommercial Building programme, Bayer has built a climateneutral child daycare centre in Monheim, Germany; a low-energy office building in Diegem, Belgium; a net-zero conference centre in Pittsburgh in the United States; and net-zero office buildings in Qingdao, China, and in Greater Noida, India.
