PHILADELPHIA - Axalta Coating Systems officially opened its newly expanded European Technology Centre (ETC) in Wuppertal, Germany, on June 8, 2016. The center will be home to the company’s liquid coating research facilities for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.

“Axalta is making this considerable investment in its EMEA research and development facilities to expand, to upgrade and to centralize our technological capabilities to support our growth in the region,” said Matthias Schönberg, Vice President of Axalta and President of EMEA. “The origins of our company can be traced back to the Wuppertal site, where paint production first began 150 years ago. Today, over 300 technical professionals will work on creating and developing next-generation paints and services to address regional market needs and to meet our customers’ specific requirements.”

The ETC will comprise facilities that house the latest coating research equipment. The entire campus encompasses 15,000 square meters of laboratories, formulation and application capabilities, a weathering and corrosion service, pilot-scale and full scale-up facilities, customer demonstration center, as well as offices.

Dr. Barry Snyder, Axalta’s Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, said, “Axalta’s expanded ETC in Wuppertal will include several new labs for light vehicle paint research, new laboratories for industrial electrocoat research, as well as expanded labs for refinish paints and new color development facilities for both the refinish and commercial vehicle markets. Its central location for Europe, and historical importance to the company as a whole, make it the ideal base for regional liquid paint research and development work.”