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Flex007-Apr2019

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54 FLEX007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2019 in with projects that we're able to support right away. We are open to having conversations with everybody. Matties: At your Taiwan facility, will it be the same sort of experience and set-up? Kannurpatti: Taiwan is an important site for us to produce many of our Pyralux® products. It's addressing the broad needs that we talked about, whether that's in consumer electron- ics, telecommunications, high-speed/high-fre- quency applications, automotive, etc. So, yes, our investments are related to the same growth drivers. Matties: One of the things I'm hearing in China now is the trade war is front and center. In the opening ceremonies at the CPCA show, they mentioned the trade wars as being a challenge and having an impact on business in China. What effect has that brought to your company that you recognize? Kannurpatti: Our strategies are built on long- term trends. Like every other company, we have to deal with macroeconomic or geopoliti- cal challenges. But when you're thinking about making investments in innovation and assets like what we're doing in Circleville, you want to focus on the long-term. Where are people going, and what kinds of things can we help them with? Our company today, the new DuPont, is going to be spun out at the beginning of June. Our company purpose is to empower the world with essential innovations to thrive. In the long term, we see that innovation in polyimides and producing new Kapton®, Pyralux®, Riston®, and metallization products is going to be help- ful for the electronics industry. Matties: Great answer. I think that's the right strategy. It's about the long game. It can be easy to get caught up in the short term—which certainly impacts business—but you have to navigate through those waters. You mentioned "the new DuPont." What's driving that? Obvi- ously, there are changes in market conditions, but what is the impetus behind that for you? Kannurpatti: Dow and DuPont merged in 2017, and we've been on this journey of not only integrating the businesses together but creat- ing three strong, independent companies. As of April 1, a materials science company came out called Dow. On June 1, the remaining portions will split into two. One will be an agricultural enterprise called Corteva. And the new DuPont I referred to, which sits in DowDuPont as a specialty products division, will be an inde- pendent company on June 1 as well. We sit in DuPont Electronics and Imaging, which is part of this specialty products division that is going to become the new DuPont. Matties: So, with the new DuPont, will you be carrying the mission statement of "empower- ing the world with innovations to thrive" to the industry? Kannurpatti: Absolutely, and that makes it all the more exciting because the focus in the spe- cialty products division, which is going to be the new DuPont, is all around innovation and growth. We're very excited to address some of those growing needs by investing in innovation and new assets that support where we're head- ing. Again, to your point earlier, this is about the long game, so we're looking at how to sup- port our customers in the long term. Matties: It's interesting timing because there's a shift in thinking in manufacturing, leader- ship, and collaboration in technology. You are bringing in technology centers to support the Our strategies are built on long-term trends. Like every other company, we have to deal with macroeconomic or geopolitical challenges.

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