AkzoNobel £11 million research investment paints brighter picture for Felling
20 Feb 2017
Dulux paint maker AkzoNobel is to create a new research facility in England at a cost of nearly £11 million.
Felling, Gateshead will host the operation, which will be used to test Arctic-style environments and simulate the heat of an oil rig fire.
Nearly 300 people are employed onsite already by the company at Felling but the extra investment will help to safeguard against job losses.
The Dutch company has also begun production at another site, the Dulux paint factory in Ashington, Northumbria.
The weakness of sterling at present may play in favour of the UK sites, given that money invested by AkzoNobel will go further. The company has other research sites abroad including one on the continent and another in the East Asia, in Singapore.
