The future of chemical industry starts from Bollate

On March 21 this year Solvay celebrated the official opening of its new Research, Development and Technology Centre (RD&T) at Solvay Specialty Polymers in Bollate (close to Milan, Italy), where the company has the head offices that control its global operations employing a staff of 450. The ribbon was cut by Bollate’s Mayor, Stefania Clara Lorusso and Ubaldo Bartolozzi, Councillor for Manufacturing Activities in the town before an audience consisting of representatives of the Solvay management team. The company employs 250 researchers at the new facility, half of whom hold university degrees and are engaged daily in the development of fluoride-based materials for a variety of hi-tech sectors such as electronics, automotive, the aerospace industry, alternative energy sources and water treatment. Thanks to the modernisation of the existing RD&T centre, the company’s in-house functions have been greatly enhanced with the addition of a new climate control system and vacuum hoods inside the laboratories bringing improvements in energy efficiency and creating a more comfortable working environment. The entrance to the centre has been relocated and now leads into a modern structure that accommodates a showroom used to display the results of the more advanced research projects. This inauguration completes a program of progressive modernisation at Solvay’s Bollate facilities, which saw the company build a new HQ and a restaurant for its staff prior to completing the work on the centre. The whole project has given the site what the Solvay management like to define a very contemporary “campus” vibe.