Air products to install a global benchmark r&d centre in bellaterra
01 Jan 2014
the new centre will lead research in agriculture and alimentation, water treatment and co2 applications.
the american multinational air products will convert the research and development lab its subsidiary carburos metálicos has in bellaterra, just outside barcelona, into a global benchmark centre. this will be the sixth laboratory of this kind for the air products, and its only other european centre is near london, in the united kingdom. with a planned annual investment of five million euros, the centre will specialize in global research on gas applications in agriculture and alimentation, on water treatment of all kinds and on the full co2 cycle, from capture to usage in various fields.
the laboratory, which until now gave support to other centres belonging to the multinational, will now lead projects worldwide. this will be a key factor in enabling it to attract talent, according to both the general manager of carburos metálicos, francesco maione, and air products’ director of technology, declan weldon. the laboratory has a staff of 35 researchers, a number that has increased by five only this year.
carburos metálicos showed a turnover of 310 million euros last year, with operational profits of 19 million, a 5% increase. the company has a long research history in bellatera and has agreements with the csic (spanish national research council ), the barcelona autonomous university and catalan government backed centre, irta (the food and agriculture research and technology institute).
