New dedicated polyamide research and innovation hub in Asia by Evonik
Last update on May 8, 2026
Manufacturers developing sports and consumer goods with long-chain polyamides often face pressure to shorten validation cycles while meeting performance, comfort, and manufacturing targets. To address these challenges, Evonik has opened a dedicated polyamide research and innovation hub in Asia focused on material development, testing, and application support for sports and consumer goods.
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Intended to support application development and pilot-scale validation
Named the “Evonik Asia PAthletic Center,” the new facility focuses on polyamide-based material innovation, particularly polyether block amides (PEBAs). The center is intended to support application development, technical collaboration, and pilot-scale validation activities intended to help customers accelerate product iterations and commercialization processes. The facility was inaugurated at the CHINAPLAS international exhibition for the plastics and rubber industry.
The facility offers testing and evaluation capabilities referenced against international standards, including ISO and ASTM frameworks, as well as brand-specific requirements. Pilot-scale plastics processing is available on-site, alongside the production of 3D-printed samples, injection-molded test specimens, and films designed to support early-stage material validation. The center is positioned to support manufacturers working with PA12 and PA12 elastomers – including PEBA-based materials used in athletic footwear, apparel, sports equipment, and protective gear.
“Asia is a key engine for innovation and manufacturing in the global sports and consumer goods industry,” said Jinhong Zhang, vice president and general manager of Evonik’s High Performance Polymers business line in the Asia-Pacific region. “With the opening of the Evonik Asia PAthletic Center, we aim to further strengthen our local footprint, from material supply to application collaboration. The new center will support our work with OEMs, manufacturers, and industry partners to shorten the cycle from concept to production. Furthermore, the center will enable the further collaboration that is vital for continuous improvements in performance, sustainability, and manufacturing efficiency for sports products.”
“Evonik PEBA supercritical foaming materials have proven their exceptional performance in a wide range of running shoe models,” said Dr. Forrest Gan, Senior Manager of Compound Engineering at Deckers International HK Limited. “We look forward to the new Asia PAthletic Center bringing Evonik even closer to brand partners, enabling deeper collaboration and more precise solutions to real-world commercialization challenges. We are excited to see Evonik continue to introduce high performance, diversified product solutions that empower brands and drive the next wave of footwear innovation.”
“We will translate our products portfolio and global application experience in long-chain polyamides into solutions that can be validated for sports applications,” said Dirk Heinrich, global head of Applied Technology & Technical Service in long-chain polyamides, in Evonik’s High Performance Polymers business line. “On one hand, we will co-develop formulations and processing windows to meet different process requirements. On the other hand, we will use standardized testing and sample validation to help customers complete design verification and scale up to production faster.”
You can review the full range of polyamide grades available for sports applications in the Master Catalog of Plastics.