On September 29 Kemira, an international corporation with 9,400 employees in 40 countries, held a ribbon cutting ceremony for their new R&D Center at Technology Enterprise Park. They chose the location next to Georgia Tech because of the opportunities for synergy in research, collaboration and commercial application.
Dr. Peterson's Remarks
This is an exciting day for both Kermira, and for Georgia Tech. Kemira is a very successful international corporation with 9,400 employees in 40 countries, and we are honored that this outstanding company has chosen Technology Enterprise Park for this Research and Design facility.
Kemira has a reputation of excellence in the three primary segments that they service: Oil and Mining; Paper; and Municipal and Industrial, focusing on water management. Georgia Tech has complementary resources for research and collaboration, including outstanding faculty, staff and students who are eager to partner with Kemira to make this global company even more successful.
Many of the solutions to today's challenges require that experts from multiple disciplines come together. Kemira has a great deal of interdisciplinarity within the organization, as has Georgia Tech. This collaborative effort will capitalize on work across disciplines, to combine the best of both organizations for a win/win relationship.
We can envision numerous of areas of synergy—our Nanotechnology Research Center, our Institute for Paper Science and Technology; the Strategic Energy Institute; helping with commercial applications; sponsoring research projects with our renowned faculty on campus; participating in our cooperative education program, and last but not least, hiring Georgia Tech graduates!
We've already collaborated in a number of areas, and we look forward working together to define the next level of the partnership. Georgia Tech is a nationally ranked research university, and Kemira has a highly-trained research team. Locating Kemira's research facility at Technology Enterprise Park will facilitate collaboration between outstanding teams, and the possibilities are endless.
By the end of next year, Kemira will have about 85 employees here, working alongside the people of Georgia Tech. We are honored to partner with you as you work to provide the best water and fiber management chemistry in the world. We look forward to a very successful, long-term relationship.
Thank you.
