US-BASED SC Johnson opened its first entomology research center outside the US yesterday in Shanghai to tap China's demand and help improve local pesticide standards.

James Wong, executive director and general manager of SC Johnson China, said the company will increase investment in pesticide research to better serve the local market. The research center will share its experiment results with peers under the Ministry of Agriculture to improve pesticide standards.

He said the Chinese market, currently among top 10 markets of the company, is set to expand further as household consumption increases.

Sui Pengfei, director of the Institute for the Control of Agrochemicals under the Ministry of Agriculture, said they are looking forward to working with the center to upgrade pesticides.

The 300-square-meter research center includes laboratories and an insectary where insects are bred in controlled environment for research purposes. The center also has product testing rooms that mimic the bedroom and living room of ordinary homes.