Akzo Nobel opens R&D innovation campus
A lab complex which can test new products in conditions that mimic the world’s most extreme environments has been officially opened by Akzo Nobel in the UK.
Located in Felling, the EUR 12.6 million R&D innovation campus fuses the site’s 115-year history of product development with state-of-the-art facilities. A creative nerve center for scientists and technical experts in the world of coatings, the focus will be on continuing to deliver cutting-edge innovations and products for the marine and oil and gas industries. It brings the total investment in the Felling site since 2011 to EUR 31.6 million. One of the key features of the campus 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.
Focus on innovation and sustainability
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”. The new facility in Felling is located around 25 miles away from Akzo Nobel’s EUR 100 million paint manufacturing plant in Ashington, which opened in 2017.
