Brenntag inaugurates French application center for personal care product development

19 Sep 2023 --- Specialty chemicals and ingredients supplier Brenntag opened the doors to its new Personal Care Innovation & Application Center in Lille, France, located in the heart of Arteparc. It is touted as the first business park in the metropolitan area fully based on circular economy principles and renewable energies.

The facility will focus on R&D for Personal Care applications. Brenntag experts will provide customers and suppliers with concepts and prototype development, customized formulation support, technical solutions and stability studies for a broad range of applications.

“The opening of the Lille Center is a further step to execute Brenntag’s ‘Strategy to Win’ by building capabilities and offering innovative services to the regional and global personal care industry,” comments Michael Wilkop, president of Personal Care / HI&I Brenntag Specialties EMEA.

“Brenntag Specialties acts as an important link with our customers and suppliers to bring innovation closer to the marketplace. The new center is a great addition to the strong network of 18 Personal Care / HI&I Innovation & Application Centres globally and four in the EMEA region.”

Green-equipped facility
Brenntag chose Lille for the new Innovation & Application Center due to its proximity to many suppliers and customers in the personal care industry in the region.

The Innovation & Application Center in Lille is the latest member of Brenntag Specialties’ global network of industry-focused centers that share best practices, knowledge and insights and deliver value-added services to our business partners.

At Arteparc Lille, all buildings have the Effinergie+ label and are designed according to the principles of high environmental quality. These principles are reflected through “choice of materials, the design of the structure, its compactness, its orientation, the characteristics of the exterior joinery, as well as the technical equipment,” notes Brenntag.

All roofs are equipped with self-consumption photovoltaic solar power panels, while rainwater is managed by on-site infiltration via road tanks and rainwater recovery tanks. Its supercharger terminals are available and powered by 100% renewable energy.

Brenntag has also very strong links to the university of Lille and cooperates with the Chevreul Institute, which aims to develop research collaborations and services in the field of chemistry and materials.

The institute is based on a “fleet of instruments among the most efficient on the market,” combined with internationally recognized expertise and scientific support.

“The scientific specificity of this technological platform lies in the great diversity and complementarity of the tools it offers for research and services in the fields of chemistry and materials,” details Brenntag.

“Lille is an ideal location for our Innovation & Application Center, given its thriving ecosystem of R&D partners, technology providers and talent,” says Francois Bouton, director of Innovation & Application PC / HI&I Brenntag Specialties EMEA.

“The work we do here will result in state-of-the-art solutions for the personal care industry.”

Edited by Benjamin Ferrer

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