Akzo Nobel Boosts UK Research Hub

AkzoNobel said it investing almost €10 million to further boost the innovative power of the UK site where performance coatings are developed. A fire protection testing laboratory and a polymer lab for powder coatings are being added to the existing R&D infrastructure at the company's Felling site in north-east England. The investment will help further transform the location into a research hub focused on innovation and the development of new performance coatings technology.

Due to be completed early next year, the testing lab will be used by the company's Marine & Protective Coatings (M&PC) business in its development of fire protection coatings. This particular market is growing rapidly due to increasingly stringent fire protection regulations worldwide, with demand expected to double by 2018. Expected to be completed by the end of the year, the facility will enable researchers to handle and develop new materials and will also include scale-up capability and an application line.