62 I Jotun Group Report 2020 Environmental commitment / R&D centre in Norway
Jotun’s new Research and Development (R&D) centre occupies
more than 21 000 square meters with offices and workstations
for up to 350 chemists and support staff. Located next to
the company’s new headquarters, the building allows R&D
personnel to fully integrate with personnel in production,
purchasing, logistics and sales and marketing, helping to
accelerate development of new products.
SAFE AND GREEN
The complex has been rated as ‘very good’ by BREEAM-NOR,
a Norwegian adaptation of the globally recognised BREEAM
standard (Building Research Establishment’s Environmental
Assessment Method) and will be powered in part by a custombuilt
heat exchanger, providing clean, renewable energy
from the nearby fjord. The buildings are all equipped with
advanced fire safety and ventilation systems, consistent with
applicable regulations and Jotun’s own internal specification
requirements to ensure a safe working environment.
To support innovations in all segments, the new facility
includes a full range of specialised equipment, making it one
of the most advanced analytical chemical laboratories in
Norway. In addition to heavy centrifuges, heating furnaces,
automated titration systems, oil absorptometers and seawater
test tanks, Jotun has invested in more advanced analytical
technologies such as a Thermogravimetric Fourier-Transform
Infrared Spectrometer, and a modern Scanning Electron
Microscope, which produces high resolution images of surface
topography and composition of samples, capable of revealing
details less than one nanometre in size.
ACCELERATING INNOVATIONS
In addition to the main R&D building the site also includes two
pilot laboratories, a paint workshop, an extensive application
centre and other testing facilities. The new R&D centre
represents a significant investment, but Jotun is confident that
it will support the company’s efforts to accelerate innovation
and develop safer, more durable and solvent-free paints and
coatings to support a healthier, more sustainable world.
Investing in the future
In response to increased customer demand for innovative, more sustainable paints and coatings,
Jotun opened a new, state-of-the art Research and Development centre in Sandefjord, Norway.