Advanced testing facility aims to shorten development timelines and improve product performance validation
In a strategic move underscoring the accelerating industrial evolution of Southeast Asia, Chemetall, the surface treatment global business unit of BASF Coatings, has inaugurated its first application laboratory in Vietnam, marking a significant expansion of its technical footprint across the Asia Pacific region.
Located in the southern province of Tây Ninh, near Ho Chi Minh City, the new facility represents a pivotal investment aimed at enhancing localized innovation, accelerating technical validation processes, and strengthening customer collaboration across high-growth industrial markets.
The laboratory is designed to serve a diverse range of sectors, including automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), automotive components, general industrial manufacturing, and plastics recycling — all of which are experiencing rapid transformation driven by advanced materials science and sustainability demands.
At its core, the new application laboratory functions as a high-precision technical hub, equipped to conduct liquid sample analysis, panel and workpiece testing, and advanced application trials for surface treatment technologies. These capabilities enable faster validation cycles and more accurate performance assessments, ensuring that industrial coatings and treatments meet stringent customer and operational requirements.
According to industry leadership, the investment reflects a broader strategic imperative: proximity-driven innovation.
“Speed is a key competitive advantage in Southeast Asia’s fast-changing market,” said Evelyn Shen. “By strengthening local technical capabilities, we are better positioned to respond to the increasing complexity and evolving demands of fast-growing markets like Vietnam with greater agility and precision.”
The facility is expected to significantly reduce turnaround times for testing and development, allowing customers to move more efficiently from concept validation to real-world application — a critical advantage in industries where production timelines and material performance standards are increasingly demanding.
Complementing this vision, Mike He emphasized the importance of closer technical integration with customers and partners across the region. Enhanced proximity, he noted, enables deeper collaboration, faster problem-solving, and more responsive support for evolving industrial challenges.
With the addition of the Vietnam laboratory, Chemetall now operates eight application laboratories across the Asia Pacific region, joining existing facilities in Australia, China, India, Singapore, and Thailand. This growing network reflects a deliberate strategy to decentralize technical expertise and embed innovation closer to key manufacturing ecosystems.
The launch comes at a time when Vietnam continues to emerge as a vital hub in global manufacturing supply chains, attracting significant investment across automotive, electronics, and industrial production sectors. As demand for high-performance surface treatment solutions intensifies, localized technical infrastructure is becoming a decisive factor in competitiveness and customer responsiveness.
Against this backdrop, Chemetall’s new facility stands as both an operational asset and a symbolic commitment — reinforcing the company’s long-term investment in Southeast Asia’s industrial future and its role in shaping the next generation of advanced materials technologies.
