Located in Bodelshausen, the centre features expanded analytical and research and development (R&D) capabilities to advance packaging coatings product development across a range of end markets

PPG center

PPG has opened its Packaging Coatings Innovation Centre, Europe in Bodelshausen, Germany. (Credit: Business Wire)

PPG, a provider of paints, coatings and materials, has opened a new Packaging Coatings Innovation Centre, Europe in Germany.

Located in Bodelshausen, the new site features expanded analytical and research and development (R&D) capabilities to reinforce and advance packaging coatings product development across a range of end markets.

The new centre will enable the company to focus on strengthening its leadership position in non-bisphenol coatings for consumer packaging.

The new centre is said to be a centralised location for product development and customer support in the firm’s operations in Europe, the Middle East, and the Africa region.

PPG’s innovation site consists of a new research laboratory with four global development centres for caps and closures, personal care, powder and food development.

To further boost product development capability, the site also includes predictive testing and analysis equipment.

PPG Europe, Middle East and Africa regulatory affairs, packaging coatings technical director and global director Charles Turner said: “Bodelshausen now boasts a critical mass of development capabilities that will increase our new product speed to market at a time when our customers need us more than ever.

“Having our resources focused at a single site means we can maximise the synergies between our development teams and increase our flexibility and efficiency.”

The Bodelshausen site, which was acquired by PPG in 1999, is said to be a crucial production location for the firm’s packaging coatings business in Europe.

Recently, the company has completed a manufacturing investment project at the site to minimise energy consumption and double production capacity for white lacquers used on the external surface of personal care, food and caps, and closures packaging.

The company has also unveiled plans for the expansion of its packaging coatings capacity at the Tiel location in the Netherlands, as well as Cieszyn of Poland and Delaware of Ohio.

In July this year, PPG announced the production capacity expansion of beverage can coatings at its Delaware facility in Ohio, US.