On Tuesday, DuPont marked the opening of its Silicon Valley Technology Center in northern California.
The center will explore technologies in areas such as autonomous vehicles.
The Wilmington company, which is slated to be spun off from DowDuPont next year, is the second Delaware-based entity to open a center in the area. Earlier, W.L. Gore and Associates, Newark, opened a center in Silicon Valley.
The site features DuPont’s newest Innovation Center, a showcase featuring new and exploratory projects, labs with on-site prototyping, and flexible meeting spaces.
“Whether it’s in consumer electronics, automotive, aerospace or other industries impacted by emerging technologies, innovation happens daily here in Silicon Valley,” said Dalen Keys, DuPont Silicon Valley Technology Center site leader. “DuPont brings an enormous breadth of advanced materials and expertise to the table that can make the difference for today’s innovators. That’s why it is essential for us to be present in the heart of the valley to build relationships and participate in this dynamic community.”
The DuPont Silicon Valley Technology Center will serve as a hub for the DowDuPont Specialty Products Division businesses to tackle customer challenges with applications support, rapid prototyping, testing and iterative design.
On-site labs dedicated to fabrication, formulation, reliability and characterization are in daily operation to enable real-time collaboration. Through DuPont’s global network of Innovation Centers and supporting teams, partners gain access to solutions enabled by the complete suite of capabilities, product offerings and expertise across the Specialty Products Division.
“DuPont has long been defined by innovation, and innovation is what drives us forward. As we evolve into a new company, we will continue to support our customers where they are,” said Marc Doye, chief operating officer, DowDuPont Specialty Products Division. “It’s a perfect time for DuPont to establish this Center because the insights and opportunities for collaboration in Silicon Valley have the potential to shape our future business. Connecting our customers to our scientists here and around the world will help deliver real-world products, open new market segments, and increase our rate of innovation.”
Within the Innovation Center, visitors can try on a smart winter jacket that uses DuPont™ Intexar Heat for comfortable warmth without the need for bulky cables or wires.
Another feature is a custom-designed drone, built primarily out of DuPont materials, including Pyralux flexible circuit materials in lieu of traditional wiring for a lightweight design, Kapton RS thermally conductive film to insulate and protect the battery, and DuPont™ Temprion thermal management materials to dissipate heat.
An additional highlight of the new Innovation Center is a dedicated space focused on DuPont’s new AHEAD™ (Accelerating Hybrid-Electric Autonomous Driving) initiative, an integrated market-focused approach for the automotive market, offering customers an experience to explore technologies and capabilities for vehicle electrification and supporting infrastructure applications.
A number of these product samples are on display within the center, such as solutions for lightweighting, battery pack components and assembly, thermal management/safety, electric motors, powertrain/chassis and electrical/electronic applications for improved automation/driver assists/self-driving capabilities.
“The pace of innovation is rapidly accelerating,” said Alexa Dembek, chief technology and sustainability officer, DowDuPont Specialty Products Division. “As our customers and other partners explore the Innovation Center, we want to connect with them and inspire them to present us with their toughest challenges and creative ideas for collaborative projects.”
DuPont opened is first Innovation Center in Nagoya, Japan in 2005. Since then, DuPont has built a network of Innovation Centers across the world, including sites in Brazil, Switzerland, Russia, Turkey, China, India and Taiwan.
The DuPont Silicon Valley Technology Center also will host a variety of industry events to engage with the local community including programming focused on startups, creative ideation and thought leadership. Learn more about the Center, upcoming events or schedule a tour by following @DuPontSVTC on Twitter.
