Dow Corning has opened a commercial office in Warsaw, Poland to support its regional silicone sales development. The company expects the office to have as many as 10 employees within the next year, and will house sales professionals and experts in silicone, as well as support a network serving the Central and European region alongside existing commercial centers in Istanbul and Moscow.

Dow Corning's business in Poland goes back to the 1970s, providing materials through local distributors. With this new investment, the company say it plans to augment its presence, particularly in Poland's burgeoning infrastructure. John Lyon, regional president for Eastern Europe said "significant evolution of the Central and Eastern European markets" has sparked modernization, efficiency, and environmental improvement that benefit silicone-based materials. Other recent efforts by Dow Corning to expand globally include new and planned sites in Bahrain, Russia, and Vietnam.

Earlier this month, Dow Corning announced plans to open a China Business and Technology Center in Zhangjiang, Shanghai, in the middle of 2010. Located in the Shanghai Pudong Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, the new Dow Corning China Business and Technology Center will have a technology and development facility, as well as Dow Corning China corporate offices. To be staffed by hundreds of scientists, engineers, and marketing professionals, the new center will address "megatrends" in the country, including renewable energy, climate protection, water conservation, and urbanization, with a particular emphasis on shortening the innovation cycle for new products and technologies. —[email protected]