Chemicals company Clariant is opening a 400 m² Project House facility in Pogliano, Italy, as part of its strategy to build innovation under its Masterbatches business unit.
According to the Switzerland-based company, the initial focus of the €2 million investment will be on “what’s next in functional packaging”, within its sub-segments Food & Beverages, Personal Care, and Household & Cleaning.
“The key objective is to provide competitive advantage for customers through differentiation and speed-to-market,” the company says.
The new Project House will be a base for chemists and technicians, as well as equipment such as extrusion machinery and analytical equipment.
“Its key objective is to pursue breakthrough concepts and solutions in Masterbatches products and processes,” Clariant says.
The Clariant Project House will identify strategic areas and bring together interdisciplinary cross-functional teams of scientists, technologists, marketers, academics and suppliers to exchange expertise and explore emerging technologies and advanced concepts that can lead market innovation.
The Project House will be fully integrated with Clariant’s Masterbatches activities globally and has direct links to its other business units, R&D and the company’s brand-new Innovation Center (CIC) in Frankfurt.
Clariant is also planning its second Project House, to be located outside Europe and to focus on fields other than functional packaging.
