Gyeonggi-do (Provincial Governor, Kim Moon-soo) has contracted a investment agreement with the world-famous healthcare and hygienic products leader, Kimberly-Clark and its Kimberly-Clark Innovation Center at the 63 City Building in Seoul on Sept. 20.

According to the agreement, Kimberly-Clark has agreed to establish an Asia Innovation Center within the Yuhan Central R&D Center in Yongin City, Gyeonggi-do, starting the fourth quarter of this year.
– Details of the investment and employment plans are confidential upon the request of Kimberly-Clark.

Kimberly-Clark’s senior vice president and chief innovation officer, Cheryl Perkins remarked “The Asia Innovation Center will be a R&D center hub for Asian regions. Most of R&D activities performed in the US will be moved to Korea. It will be like another R&D pillar based in the middle of Asia.”

Kimberly-Clark’s headquarters is located in Dallas, Texas and has established ‘Yuhan Kimberly’ in Korea back in 1970. Yuhan Kimberly is a familiar company manufacturing Kleenex Tissue, disposable diapers and other products. This company now a global enterprise operating in 38 countries around the world and employs over 57,000 employees.

The Gyeonggi-do government has forecasted that Kimberly-Clark’s R&D center will enhance competiveness in the bio and medical industry and also cultivate research resources and sent an investment inducement team to the US last December and actively presented the province’s investment environment and recommended the research location.

Provincial Governor, Kim Moon-soo has remarked “I am very happy that the renowned global enterprise Kimberly-Clark is establishing the Asia Innovation Center in Gyeonggi-do. This opportunity is expected to bring an epoch-making growth to domestic bio industries and related industries.” He also added, “The Gyeonggi-do government will spare no effort in administrative and financial support so that the Kimberly-Clark Asia Innovation Center expands as the top level research center in Asia.”

The Gyeonggi-do government plans to recommend local universities and research centers for joint research projects with Kimberly-Clark.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy (MOCIE) has contracted a support agreement for ‘R&D Resource Training’ with Kimberly-Clark. MOCIE’s efforts of visiting Kimberly-Clark HQ in the US and meeting up with Research Investment Project Manager, Cheryl Perkins has now come to fruition as an Asia Innovation Center in Gyeonggi-do