Suzano inaugurates its Innovability Hub in China

Contributing to China’s low-carbon strategy via bio-based solutions

Shanghai, March 21, 2023 – Today, Suzano inaugurated its Innovobility Hub in China. The inauguration event was attended by government officials, customers, academia, and other stakeholders.

Located in Zhangjiang Science City in Shanghai, the Suzano China Innovability Hub is Suzano’s first R&D and innovation center in Asia. It is dedicated to addressing customers’ evolving needs for pulp and new bio-based materials and applications. The Innovability Hub will also act as a collaboration base for various pulp product participants and other stakeholders in China and overseas to drive sustainable development through Innovability.

Under its “dual carbon” targets, China is demonstrating a clear transition from high-speed to high-quality growth, made possible by its rich expertise in R&D and innovation over recent decades. The establishment of the Innovability Hub represents Suzano’s long-term strategic efforts to create an open and transformative innovation platform in China.

“China’s promising economic growth and current market size are generating significant demand for a variety of high-value bio-based raw materials. As a bio-based business, our company is definitely in the right position to contribute to China in its transition to a low carbon economy, through what we call Innovability, or the pursuit of sustainable solutions through innovation,” as Walter Schalka, Global CEO of Suzano emphasized at the ceremony.

“The Innovability Hub also better positions Suzano to support the repositioning of China’s pulp, paper and bio-based materials industry and, more importantly, to advance China’s carbon-neutral agenda with its leading role in Innovability,” added Pablo Machado, President of Asia Business (Beyond Pulp) at Suzano.

At the inauguration ceremony, Suzano was granted the GOI (Group Open Innovation) plate by Shanghai Pudong New Area Government. Furthermore, Suzano signed a strategic cooperation agreement with several institutions and universities in China on the research and development of bio-based materials, launched a sustainability program together with a key customer and a key supplier in China, and initiated an open call for start-ups in China to empower bio-economy visionaries in the local market by offering financial support and resources.