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AkzoNobel has expanded its research hub in Deventer, the Netherlands, opening a new laboratory that the company says will play a pivotal role in its ambition to drive future growth through innovation.
The world’s largest paint and coatings company aims to increase the contribution made by innovation from about 9 percent to 15-20 percent of its revenue by 2015 and to ensure that at least 30 percent of sales comes from eco-premium products.
In 2010, the company spent close to 20 percent of its global R&D budget in the Netherlands.
RD&I Cornerstone
The new facility houses more than 200 top researchers from the company's Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) organization. It is one of a network of six global RD&I centers that support all of Akzo Nobel’s businesses.
Speaking at the opening of the so-called Research Street complex, Graeme Armstrong, member of AkzoNobel's Executive Committee responsible for RD&I, said: "With nearly 40 percent of our research and development capabilities in the Netherlands based here in Deventer, and with the leading edge facilities in the laboratories which make up Research Street, we have confirmed the position of the Netherlands as a cornerstone of AkzoNobel's global RD&I organization."
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AkzoNobel |
| AkzoNobel aspires to realize 20 percent of its revenue from innovative products by 2015. |
The six global RD&I Centers host a combination of business-led R&D groups and several Expert Capability Groups, who work in partnership with AkzoNobel's businesses.
Amsterdam-based Akzo Nobel operates in more than 80 countries and employs about 55,000 people. Its portfolio includes International Paint, Sikkens, Dulux and other well-known brands.
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