On June 23, 2026, the inauguration of the Highsun AKRO plant took place in Changle, Fuzhou, together with the official start of the facility’s operations. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the shareholders and management, including HSCC Chairman Chen Jianlong, HSCC President Chen Zhong, Vice President Roelof Westerbeek, AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH Managing Director Dr. Oliver Neuß, and Highsun AKRO General Manager Yang Xuebin. The new plant, located in Changle District, was designed for an annual production capacity of 100,000 tonnes of modified engineering materials. The facility integrates ICX technology, meaning compounding and extrusion solutions, as well as AKRO-PLASTIC’s formulation systems for engineering plastics. The main product groups include materials from the Akromid series, covering PA 6, PA 6.6 and PPA, as well as alloys from the Akroloy series based on PA 6.6 and PPA. The start-up of the plant expands the manufacturing capacity of the joint venture operating in the Chinese market and strengthens its base for supplying modified engineering plastics to various processing industries.
During the opening, Yang Xuebin underlined the importance of the location for the further development of the project. As he stated, "Changle has a strong industrial foundation and a very good business environment. Going forward, the Fuzhou plant will focus on three strategic directions: first, innovation-driven growth, by leveraging the combined technical know-how of both partners to establish a local R&D laboratory for industries such as automotive, electronics, and kitchen and bath; second, green and low-carbon operations, through the full implementation of energy-efficient production equipment and sustainable manufacturing practices; third, collaborative synergy, through deep integration with the Highsun Group industrial ecosystem and by attracting local talent to support Fuzhou’s high-quality economic development."
Dr. Oliver Neuß, managing director of AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH
Dr. Oliver Neuß described the new facility as particularly important from the perspective of compounding technology and production organisation. In his remarks, he said: "This is the best compounding plant I have ever seen in more than 25 years of activity in this industry. This facility combines the best of two worlds. Against all odds, we remained committed to the project and brought it to completion. In the future, Changzhou will be the location for highly specialised compounds, while Fuzhou will develop towards large production runs and cost leadership. This differentiated and complementary structure will allow us to supply customers with the full spectrum of highest-quality engineering materials." Roelof Westerbeek, in turn, stated that the Fuzhou plant is the highest-level benchmark project he has participated in during his career. He also added that the launch of the facility marks another stage in the journey of HSCC and AKRO to build a position as a significant supplier of engineering materials solutions in the Chinese market, and is also an important element of the HSCC 3.0 strategy, which assumes growth in specialist activities, including the engineering materials area.
According to the company, the Fuzhou plant combines the strengths of both shareholders, including infrastructure, proprietary technologies, and a high degree of automation. After the official part of the event, the management representatives, including Chen Jianlong, Chen Zhong, Roelof Westerbeek, Dr. Oliver Neuß, and Yang Xuebin, jointly started the installation during a symbolic touchscreen countdown. The company indicates that, with the start of operations at the plant, Highsun AKRO now has two complementary production locations, in Changzhou and Fuzhou. This structure is intended to allow a better fit with the differentiated needs of customers in eastern and southern China, while also improving order response time and supply reliability.
Joint venture structure and scope of operations
Highsun AKRO is a joint venture established in 2022 by Fujian Highsun Engineering Plastics Co., Ltd., which holds a 60 percent stake, and Germany-based AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH, which holds a 40 percent stake. AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH is part of the German Feddersen Group. Under the joint venture agreement, the German partner granted the company an exclusive licence to manufacture and market products using its proprietary ICX technology within Greater China, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. Outside this area, AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH retains full exclusive rights to its brands, formulations, and technologies and operates entirely independently.
The company also emphasises that raw material qualification, material formulations, and quality assurance processes at the plants in China are fully aligned with AKRO-PLASTIC’s global standards. This is intended to ensure worldwide consistency of product properties. Strategically, the partnership is meant to combine Highsun’s position as a backward-integrated global market leader in polyamide 6 with AKRO-PLASTIC’s compounding technology and customer product approvals in international markets.
Production profile and planned development
According to the information provided, the Fuzhou plant will focus on modified engineering plastics, while further development is to include refinement of core technologies, improvement of product quality, and development of environmentally friendly materials. Combined with the operations of the plant in Changzhou, the new investment creates a two-site production network in which the roles of both facilities have been divided. Changzhou is to be responsible for highly specialised compounds, while Fuzhou is to focus on high-volume production and cost competitiveness. This model is intended to support a broader range of applications in segments such as automotive, electronics, and consumer equipment, while maintaining consistent quality standards.
The official start of operations at the Highsun AKRO plant in Fuzhou
