Wedoany.com Report-Sept. 10, Almatis, a global aluminum technology leader founded in 1915 and headquartered in Frankfurt, has launched its fourth expansion project in the Qingdao Area of the China (Shandong) Pilot Free Trade Zone (Qingdao FTZ). Construction began on August 28, marking 27 years since the company first entered Qingdao.

Since the establishment of its Qingdao subsidiary in 1998, Almatis has grown into a key upstream material supplier for the city’s new display industry chain. This development has played a role in advancing Qingdao’s high-end manufacturing sector, positioning the company as an important contributor to local industrial upgrading.

Gao Shanwu, director of the Qingdao FTZ Administration Committee, emphasized that Almatis’s expansions highlight foreign investors’ confidence in the zone’s favorable business environment. Gao said: “The zone has used its national reform platform to expand institutional openness and promote integrated development across shipping, trade, finance, and manufacturing. German-funded enterprises have deeply integrated with the local industrial chain, contributing to significant increases in key indicators such as foreign trade and foreign capital utilization.”

Almatis has continuously strengthened its operations in Qingdao, evolving from a single-process line into three full-process production lines that support both established industries and emerging sectors. The company is the world’s largest producer of advanced alumina compounds, supplying a broad range of applications worldwide.

The latest expansion project is designed to further boost new material production in Qingdao. By doing so, it aims to reinforce the clustering of upstream and downstream industries and support the transition of the regional manufacturing base towards intelligent, high-end, and environmentally sustainable growth.

The Qingdao FTZ has become a hub for international companies, particularly those from Germany and other German-speaking regions. To date, the zone has attracted 67 German-funded enterprises, including two Fortune Global 500 companies and 14 recognized industry leaders. These businesses cover fields such as advanced manufacturing, vocational training, research and development, and green building solutions.

Almatis’s decision to expand further in Qingdao reflects both the company’s long-term commitment to the Chinese market and the city’s role as a strategic base for material innovation. The combination of Almatis’s global expertise in alumina technologies with Qingdao FTZ’s open, integrated business platform is expected to generate new opportunities for the local and regional economy.

By supporting advanced material supply chains and strengthening industry linkages, the project reinforces Qingdao FTZ’s position as a destination for international investment and innovation.