Solstice Advanced Materials plans to invest $49 million to expand and upgrade its research and development facility in Buffalo, New York, establishing the site as its primary global R&D hub for advanced materials and chemical processes.

The project includes about $30 million for upgrades to the facility’s pilot plant, where the company can test materials and processes at larger scales before commercial development. The expansion is expected to add 12 jobs to the Buffalo site’s existing workforce of about 180 employees.

Empire State Development is providing up to $1.4 million in performance-based tax credits through the Excelsior Jobs Program, tied to job creation associated with the investment.

Solstice was formed in October 2025 as a spin-off of Honeywell’s specialty materials business. Its products serve markets including refrigeration, foam insulation, aerosols, energy storage and semiconductor manufacturing.

Solstice said the Buffalo expansion will support research and development intended to move new materials and chemical processes toward commercialization.

The Buffalo investment follows other moves to expand Solstice’s advanced materials portfolio. In July, the company agreed to acquire Element Solutions in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at about $14.5 billion. The deal will reportedly broaden Solstice’s specialty chemicals and electronics materials capabilities, including in semiconductor manufacturing, electronics packaging, thermal management and data center cooling. The companies expect the acquisition to close in the first half of 2027.