New €12.6m AkzoNobel innovation hub in UK

AKZONOBEL is to invest €12.6m (US$13.3m) in a new paints and coatings innovation hub in Felling, in the northeast of England, UK.

The hub will bring together more than 100 leading experts in coatings technology, who will work to develop novel protective coatings for the energy, mining, infrastructure and oil and gas industries. The researchers will focus on coatings to protect steel and concrete from damage from corrosion, abrasion and fire.

The hub will include a testing and simulation facility, which AkzoNobel says will be “world class”, to test the coatings in extreme conditions and environments.

UK secretary of state for business Greg Clark praised the strength of the chemical industry in the northeast of England and added: “AkzoNobel’s significant investment in establishing a new technical innovation hub is further proof that Britain is open for business and underlines the growth we want to see and support in our local economies. As we develop our industrial strategy, we are determined to build on the diverse strengths of all of Britain’s cities and regions.”

The innovation hub is expected to open in 2018.