Located in Felling, near Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, the €12.6 mill R&D campus is located on a site where the company has been active for 115 years and the company’s International marine coatings brand was based.
A creative nerve centre for scientists and technical experts in the world of coatings, its focus will be on continuing to deliver innovations and products for the marine and oil and gas industries. It brings the total investment in the Felling site since 2011 to €31.6 mill.
"As the birthplace of the International brand, we're immensely proud of our Felling site, which has supplied products for some of the world's most iconic buildings and structures," said Jean-Michel Gauthier, managing director of the company's Marine and Protective Coatings business. "The new laboratories will enable our technical experts to partner more closely with our customers and deliver innovative products and solutions that meet the most demanding specifications in our industry."
One of its key features is a new application and testing laboratory. It will be used to test new products in extreme conditions, such as temperature resistance, fire and high pressure. The facilities will also enable scientists to expose products to chemicals and corrosion.
A comprehensive sustainability plan was at the heart of the design and development of the new complex. Features include solar wall cladding, a sustainable urban drainage system, grey water recycling, photovoltaic panels, air compressor heat recovery, and a sedum ‘green roof’.
Felling’s new facility is located around 25 miles from AkzoNobel's €100 mill paint manufacturing plant in Ashington, Northumberland, which opened in 2017.