AkzoNobel, the Dutch coatings and paints multinational, has opened an R&D center west of London, the latest in a series to enable the company to ramp up its product development activities.
The £10 million (€11.9 million) center in Slough, home to 120 specialists, will help “advance AkzoNobel’s innovation capabilities, especially in the area of decorative paints,” the company said in a statement.
The company also boasts an automotive paints center in Poland, an Application Training center in Dubai, an Innovation Campus in Felling, UK, and a global innovation, development and training center in Qatar for its marine coatings business.
The Slough center “will help us to continue our long tradition of pioneering new products and developing more sustainable solutions for our customers through ground-breaking innovations,” said AkzoNobel CEO, Thierry Vanlancker.
The center fits into AkzoNobel’s People. Planet. Paint sustainability strategy. Its opening came three years after AkzoNobel opened its R&D Innovation Campus in Felling, UK. The latter is home to some of the company’s leading scientists and technical experts in marine and protective coatings.
At the Slough center’s opening, Fiona McLachlan, AkzoNobel’s Technical Director Color, said: “Our paints and coatings have a strong heritage in the UK and Ireland. This modern, fit-for-purpose center will continue this legacy.”
The new center is located close to AkzoNobel’s flagship Dulux Academy, one of a dozen Dulux Decorator Centers and colleges. It provides painters and decorators with expertise to help improve product, application and technical knowledge and understanding.
Amsterdam-based AkzoNobel markets paints and coatings to customers in more than 150 countries. Key AkzoNobel marine products include the Awlgrip and International brands.
