AkzoNobel’s global coatings expertise will be one of the first things that visitors experience when they visit Shanghai’s World Expo 2010, which opens on May 1.The company’s products have been used to paint ten of the main pavilions, as well as several other buildings, including the Expo Axis, Expo Village and Expo Performance Center. More than 70 million people are expected to attend before the event closes in October.

“Having been closely associated with China for nearly three decades, the company is both proud and excited to be involved with the World Expo 2010,” said Leif Darner, Board member AkzoNobel, responsible for China. “The event will be a tremendous global stage for China and represents a perfect opportunity for AkzoNobel to showcase its extensive portfolio of high performance products.”

Along with the distinctive China Pavilion, the company’s coatings have been used on the pavilions of countries such as Spain, the UAE, Germany, Norway, Mexico and Canada. Advanced coatings technology developed by AkzoNobel will also be on show in the Dutch Pavilion, which houses a model of a futuristic airliner. Dubbed Zeft, the sustainable aircraft has been coated with the company’s aerospace coatings. AkzoNobel is also a sponsor of the Dutch Pavilion, also known as Happy Street.

“Asia – and China in particular – is pivotal to our global strategy,” continued Darner. “We have been actively increasing our presence in China and will keep investing in what is a key market. I’m sure the World Expo 2010 will be another landmark in the country’s ongoing success.”

AkzoNobel already has a strong track record of involvement with major projects in China, having supplied coatings for the Bird’s Nest Stadium and Water Cube used for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The company also coated five of the ten stadiums being used at this summer’s soccer World Cup in South Africa.