AkzoNobel has opened the doors of its new £10 million global research and development centre in Slough in the South of England. The new facility will be home to 120 specialists from across AkzoNobel’s Research & Development business, including chemists and weather testing experts.               

As a leader in innovation and scientific expertise, research and development has been at the heart of AkzoNobel and its products for decades. The company applies state-of-the-art testing procedures to push its products to their limits, resulting in the quality and excellence that people know and love from brands like Dulux and Cuprinol. The new centre will now lead these efforts in the UK and Ireland, and act as a key hub within AkzoNobel’s global Research & Development network, furthering the company’s innovation capabilities.

Speaking at the new centre’s launch event was AkzoNobel’s CEO, Thierry Vanlancker: “Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in AkzoNobel’s journey in the UK. As a business we have always prided ourselves on our commitment to innovation. More recently in our history that’s been spearheaded by the ‘Paint’ pillar of our purpose, People. Planet. Paint.

“Redeveloping our portfolio and pioneering new, improved paints and coatings are both central to offering our customers increasingly sustainable solutions. This fantastic new facility in Slough will level up our capabilities and provide a huge boost to our sustainability goals in the UK, Ireland and beyond.”

The Slough Research & Development Centre opens following the 2019 launch of AkzoNobel’s R&D Innovation Campus in Felling, the home of some of the company’s leading scientists and technical experts in marine and protective coatings.

The launch brings AkzoNobel’s Slough Research & Development team closer than ever before to its Decorative Paint UK & Ireland business. This will mean that AkzoNobel’s commercial teams, the Dulux Academy and the Slough Research & Development centre will all be housed in one area, with a Dulux Decorator Centre nearby.

AkzoNobel’s Technical Director Colour, Fiona McLachlan comments: “Our paints and coatings have a strong heritage in the UK and Ireland – touching so many aspects of our day-to-day lives. This modern fit-for-purpose centre, together with the Felling Innovation Campus, will continue this legacy into the future. It will enable us to further our longstanding contributions to the paints and coatings industry while helping to drive the local economy, both regionally and nationally.”

The Minister for Investment, Lord Gerry Grimstone, attended the opening and said: “The UK economy is fundamentally strong, highly competitive and repeatedly ranks as the number one location for Foreign Direct Investment in Europe.

“AkzoNobel’s £10 million investment represents a strong commitment to the UK economy and helps to push our nation’s capabilities when it comes to research and development. With the centre operating as a global facility, it enhances the position of the UK as a centrepiece for innovation around the world.”