Celanese Strengthens its US footprint for Innovation in Engineered Materials

Celanese Corporation, a global specialty materials and chemicals company, has opened its expanded Michigan Technology Center (MTC) – a strategic expansion that the company says strengthens its U.S.-based innovation footprint and advances its Engineered Materials 2026 growth strategy.

According to the company the center is designed to enable earlier customer engagement, faster development cycles, and deeper integration of technology and expertise across Celanese’s broad materials portfolio.

“It represents a major step forward in our commitment to innovation and the long‑term growth of our Engineered Materials (EM) business. By bringing advanced development capabilities closer to our customers while improving efficiencies, we strengthen our ability to co‑create differentiated solutions and drive the next wave of growth with our development partners,” says Todd Elliot – Sr. VP of Engineered Materials at Celanese.

The Troy facility has been expanded by more than 10,000 square feet of new high‑bay processing space, plus 3,000 square feet of modified areas including a new control room, electrical room, and future office space. The nearby Auburn Hills site adds nearly 4,000 square feet of updated lab and new innovation space.

Importantly, both projects were completed with zero Tier 1 or Tier 2 safety or environmental incidents. Together, the projects required approximately 60,000 people‑hours, including building construction and site preparation, with 27 truckloads of equipment and materials relocated to Michigan – ranging from injection molders and extrusion lines to QC test equipment and Santoprene® compounding systems.

The expanded MTC brings together piloting, application development, and advanced engineering prototyping capabilities under one roof. This integration unifies talent, tools, and technology while modernizing Celanese’s ability to collaborate with customers on next‑generation material solutions.

Relocating the Santoprene® TPV piloting operation from Houston, Texas, reduces the company’s overall cost to support while creating a centralized hub for extrusion development, foaming technologies, and advanced engineering.

The facility was designed and purpose‑built around the way Celanese partners and customers across the value chain design, test, validate, and commercialize applications across key end markets such as automotive, electrical and electronics and medical, the MTC supports hands‑on co-development with Celanese experts to accelerate design optimization, problem solving, and commercialization readiness.

Customers gain access to a distinctive set of capabilities, including:

• Hands‑on co‑development with Celanese experts across application validation and design optimization.
• Unique technical capabilities, including a highly specialized Santoprene® TPV pilot line and advanced foaming technologies that enable broader design space and performance innovation.
• Faster development cycles, enabled by local responsiveness paired with global technical depth.
• Stronger supply chain resilience through U.S.-based innovation resources and development support.

The expanded center supports development across 17-plus Engineered Materials product families, including Zytel® PA, Hytrel® TPC, Forton® PPS, and Santoprene® TPV.

By centralizing advanced engineering, computer-aided engineering (CAE), Field Technical Service (FTS), and application development capabilities in Michigan, Celanese enhances its ability to engage earlier with customers, accelerates application development and deepen long‑term customer partnerships. Through more efficient development workflows, reduced waste, and innovations that support lighter and dynamic solutions, the MTC reinforces th