Danish company Hempel has invested 6 million euros and created 30 jobs with the opening of its new R&D center in Catalonia
29 Nov 2018
The Minister for Enterprise and Knowledge, Àngels Chacón, inaugurated this Thursday Hempel’s new centre of excellence and R&D in Barcelona. The Danish multinational company, which is dedicated to the manufacture and commercialization of coatings, has invested 6 million euros in these new facilities, which have entailed the creation of 30 jobs.
For this investment project, Hempel has had the support of Catalonia Trade & Investment -the Catalan Government’s agency for business competitiveness-. With this new R&D centre, the Danish company aims to develop new coatings that will increase building’s protection against fire. The facilities consist of a laboratory of 3,000m2, test areas and offices, and will have a team of specialists in the field of fire, scientists and engineers.
During the inauguration ceremony, Minister Chacón said that "Hempel’s philosophy fits perfectly with the Catalan Government’s strategy: a productive, innovative, sustainable, inclusive and open economy in the world: that is what we want to promote". The Minister of Business and Knowledge has stressed that "despite all the determinant factors, we are certain that the desire to position ourselves internationally and to attract new investments is what defines our road map." In addition to Chacón, the executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Hempel, Lars Petersson, the Danish Ambassador to Spain, Jens Kisling, and the First Deputy Mayor of Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, Joan Alcántara, also took part in the event.
Hempel, headquartered in Kongens Lyngby (Denmark), is specialized in the development of paintings and coatings for the protection of structures and buildings in the industrial, naval and nautical, containers and decoration fields. The multinational company has a global staff of 6,700 workers in 80 countries, 28 factories and 15 R&D centres.
In particular, the company has received the support of Catalonia Trade & Investment, the area dedicated to foreign investment attraction. This unit works from Barcelona and a network of 40 Foreign Trade and Investment Offices in the world to attract new foreign investment projects in Catalonia.
