The world's largest cosmetics OEM, Intercos Group, announced to set up a make-up graduate school in Fengxian to provide professionally-trained specialists for the Oriental Beauty Valley, an industrial park for cosmetics companies.
The district government also signed a framework agreement with the Italian company, the Oriental Beauty Valley Co Ltd, and Shanghai Institute of Technology to build an innovation center there.
"The innovation center will focus on the research and development of new materials, active ingredients, formulas and technologies in cosmetics manufacturing," said Martin Breuer, Intercos president for Asia Pacific. The center, the largest of its kind in China, will have about 200 researchers.
Students of Shanghai Institute of Technology can work as interns there and conduct experiments under the guidance of experts.
Intercos Group CEO Dario Ferrari said Asia will become the world's largest cosmetics market in 10 years and he wants to build a supply chain in Fengxian.
Founded in 1972, the Italian company opened a wholly-owned subsidiary in Fengxian in 2008. The company achieved a total business turnover of 160 million yuan (US$23.2 million) last year.