A first drawing shows the " slim part" of the new innovation and seminar complex (on the right) at BYK in Wesel.
- New innovation building – modern and sustainable
- Heating and cooling with 100 percent renewable energies (heat pumps and photovoltaic systems)
- Commitment to Germany as an innovation location
- Even greater customer proximity and exclusive seminar offerings thanks to integrated seminar and function rooms
- Project costs of around 25 million euros
Wesel, March 22, 2024 – BYK will be constructing a cutting-edge laboratory building at its site in Wesel. The aim is to generate new innovations together with customers and for customers in End use labs. Besides this, the new building will make integrated seminar and function rooms available for the numerous visits by customers. BYK Division President Dr. Jörg Hinnerwisch elucidates: “BYK is networked with its customers worldwide and, with this innovative laboratory complex, it will be creating space for effective communication as well as for developments and cooperation with our customers and distributors. At the same time, the new building will offer us more opportunities for our exclusive on-site seminars that are so much in demand.”
In the planning, particular importance is being attached to efficient energy consumption. Heating and cooling, for instance, will be entirely fueled by heat pumps and photovoltaic systems. “With regard to sustainability, safeguarding the future, and ecology, we wish to equip the building – and further adjacent laboratory buildings – with heat recovery, as well as meeting the full energy needs of this new innovations construction with 100 percent renewable energies,” Dr. Jörg Hinnerwisch continued. Added to which, sustainable materials will be deployed throughout the entire project.
An old laboratory building will make way for the approximately 47 x 18 x 14.5 meters construction with a total area of 5,100 square meters so that it can be fully integrated into the existing structure at the BYK campus in Wesel. BYK Marketing & Commercial Managing Director Dr. Stefan Mößmer: “This will be of especial benefit to our customers who seek to develop their project solutions here on site with BYK experts. It was therefore logical to plan a further story where we will soon be able to host customer events, visits, and seminars. At around 25 million euros construction costs, a particular intention of the innovation complex is to provide modern, state-of-the-art laboratories for the BYK end uses while at the same time allowing more breathing space for existing end use, applications labs, and R&D facilities.” BYK estimates a total project implementation period of around four years. Completion is envisaged in the second quarter of 2028.
About BYK:
BYK is a leading global supplier of specialty chemicals. The company’s innovative additives and differentiated solutions optimize product and material properties as well as production and application processes. Amongst other things, BYK additives improve scratch resistance and surface gloss, the mechanical strength or flow behavior of materials, and properties such as UV- and light stability or flame retardancy. In the field of quality assurance, BYK’s measuring and testing instruments serve to effectively assess appearance and physical properties.
The company’s customers include manufacturers of coatings and printing inks, plastics, adhesives and sealants, as well as cleaners, floor coatings, and lubricants. BYK additives are also successfully used in the construction chemistry, oil and gas, and foundry industries.
BYK has a global network of subsidiaries and operates production sites in Germany (Wesel, Kempen, Moosburg, Schkopau, Geretsried), the Netherlands (Deventer, Denekamp, Nijverdal), and the UK (Widnes), in the USA (Wallingford, Chester, Columbia, Earth City, Gonzales, Louisville, Pittsford), and in China (Shanghai, Tongling).
The company is part of the ALTANA Group and employs a workforce of more than 2,500 people worldwide.
About ALTANA:
ALTANA is a global leader in true specialty chemicals. The Group offers innovative, environmentally compatible solutions for coating manufacturers, paint and plastics processors, the printing and packaging industries, the cosmetics sector, and the electrical and electronics industry. The product range includes additives, specialty coatings and adhesives, effect pigments, sealants and compounds, impregnating resins and varnishes, and testing and measuring instruments. ALTANA’s four divisions, BYK, ECKART, ELANTAS, and ACTEGA, all occupy a leading position in their target markets with respect to quality, product solution expertise, innovation, and service.
Headquartered in Wesel, Germany, the ALTANA Group has 64 production facilities and 68 service and research laboratories worldwide. Throughout the Group, around 8,000 people work to ensure the worldwide success of ALTANA. In 2023, ALTANA achieved sales of more than € 2.7 billion. About 7 percent of the total sales is invested in research and development each year. Its high earning power and high growth rate make ALTANA one of the world’s most innovative, fastest growing, and most profitable chemical companies.