Imerys opens its new R&D Technology Centre in Toulouse

The aim is to speed up the launch of new mineral solutions to enable customers to continue their product innovation efforts

On 21 May, Imerys opened its new European Technology Center for performance minerals. The new 2,500 square metre site will bring together all the group’s R&D resources while sharing knowledge with the other Imerys laboratories located elsewhere in Europe, in the US and in Asia. The aim of the new investment is to accelerate the launch of new products to meet the latest needs and trends.

Recognised by European manufacturers as a leading laboratory engaged in optimising and developing new mineral-based solutions for plastics (virgin, recycled and biopolymer resins), elastomers and life sciences, the Toulouse Technology Center is also a world centre of excellence for polymer applications. Thanks to new investments, it also boasts experts and equipment for research in the fields of ceramics (tiles, sanitaryware, tableware and refractory linings for kilns), building materials (mineral insulators and geopolymers), paints and coatings for industrial applications.

The laboratory expanded its capacity at the end of 2020 and now employs more than 50 French and international technicians and scientists. Its strategic location means that the Group will now have access to prestigious university and scientific resources throughout a region that is home to major R&D initiatives.

“Focusing our R&D resources at our Toulouse Technology Center of excellence will help us achieve the critical size required to speed up the launch of new mineral solutions needed by our clients in their own quest for innovation and performance,” says Guillaume Delacroix, Imerys’ Vice Chairman in charge of Performance Minerals for the EMEA region. “The equipment will enable us to carry out tests and process simulations to predict the behaviour of our minerals. The focus will also be on the life cycle of our new products, an increasingly important issue for accelerating the ecological transition of European industry.”