Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad officiating the launch of Zantat’s RM8mil Poly Cal Innovation Lab in Keramat Pulai, accompanied by Zantat managing director Ivan Chan.
KUALA LUMPUR: Zantat Holdings Bhd has launched the RM8mil Zantat Poly+Cal Innovation Lab to advance polymer and calcium carbonate R&D and strengthen the country’s sustainable materials sector.
Zantat managing director Ivan Chan said the new facility marks a strategic leap in the company’s plan to reposition calcium carbonate as a green material rather than a low-cost filler, enabling the company to move up the value chain through innovation and technology.
“The establishment of the Poly+Cal Innovation Lab is more than an expansion of our R&D capabilities. It is a strategic move to unlock calcium carbonate’s potential as a low-carbon, value-added material.
“It strengthens our technological foundation and positions us to meet the growing demand for sustainable, high-performance materials,” he said in a statement.
The country’s largest homegrown calcium carbonate producer said the Poly+Cal Innovation Lab marks a key post-IPO milestone, expanding its R&D beyond quality control to advanced polymer–calcium carbonate research and in-house proof-of-concept testing.
The Poly+Cal Innovation Lab supports Zantat’s bioplastic compounding business, launched in 2024, developing compostable and marine-degradable polymers that combine calcium carbonate with eco-friendly biopolymers.
As the first locally owned R&D facility of its kind in Malaysia’s calcium carbonate sector, the Poly+Cal Innovation Lab reflects Zantat’s commitment to adding value to Perak’s mineral resources and supporting the state’s Perak Sejahtera 2030 development agenda.
Chan said the initiative aligns with the federal government’s New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030), which aims to promote low-carbon industries and strengthen domestic value chains.
“By developing sustainable applications for calcium carbonate, we are transforming Perak’s natural resource advantage into a platform for green industrial growth,” he added.
