China may be the first mover in many important technologies, such as carbon dioxide capture, coal-based chemicals or new pharmaceuticals, according to Keith Pauley, president and CEO of MATRIC.

“Therefore, MATRIC has a deliberate strategy to engage with the leading companies and research institutes in China to work together to solve some of the most challenging problems in the world,” he said.

Pauley was one of more than 60 people who went to China with the Charleston Area Alliance earlier this year.

Over the last two years, MATRIC’s leadership team and representatives, including Mr. Pauley, Dr. Parvez Wadia, Dr. Madan Bhasin, and Dr. George Keller, have traveled to China three times to meet with Chinese companies.

MATRIC is building important relationships with major energy companies, such as Shenhua Coal and Kailuan Coal, chemical companies, such as Sinopec, and pharmaceutical companies, such as Double Crane Pharmaceuticals.

The coal companies of China have a stated goal to use the majority of their reserves to produce fuels and chemicals through coal-to-liquid technologies. One coal executive told MATRIC, “Coal is too important to burn for electricity. That is what nuclear power is for.”

MATRIC has significant chemical process development expertise that can be deployed to support future projects in coal-to-chemicals, carbon capture, advanced catalyst design, as well as generic pharmaceutical product manufacture.

Interested in building international connections? Consider joining the Alliance in April 2011 for its second business mission to China. Click here for details.