Opening up our Adhesive Technologies Inspiration Center
Innovation
Aug 24, 2021
Markets are shifting. Industries are transforming. Technologies are moving forward. This is a time of incredible change, accelerated by megatrends like digitalization, globalization and sustainability. Our new Inspiration Center in Düsseldorf is now bringing together people and organizations from across industries to develop high-impact innovations for the modern world. The more than 130-million-euro investment is designed to provide an inspiring environment to co-create future-facing solutions – for today and tomorrow.
Collaborate to innovate
Henkel’s Adhesive Technologies business unit has a 100-year history of providing pioneering solutions for almost every market and application in the world. That’s why our experts understand that there’s no innovation without collaboration. The Inspiration Center in Düsseldorf was designed to bring Henkel’s team together with our suppliers and customers, as well as partners from industry, academia and beyond. By embracing an open innovation approach, we aim to develop the solutions of the future faster than ever. In this spirit, the new building gathers all of our technical experts in Düsseldorf under one roof – with lots of space for external collaborators to work side-by-side with our team. In addition, the Inspiration Center offers a Customer Experience Journey where customers can engage with our experts and gain insights into Henkel’s ability to provide innovative solutions for the key challenges they face.
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Visitors to the Inspiration Center can experience our broad technology portfolio by taking a digital, physical and hands-on journey through the building. They can also join us in our specially designed Heavy Labs, where co-creators are invited to innovate alongside us and develop real solutions to their biggest challenges. These double-height rooms make it possible to set up pilot production lines, application tests and workshops. Project rooms and dialog areas invite free-thinking discussions, while the Inspiration Center also features impressive open spaces where we plan to host networking events with universities, startups, research institutes, suppliers and more.
Driving digital development
Data-driven technologies are transforming R&D – and our Inspiration Center is a powerful demonstration of this trend in action. The team in the new facility uses advanced digital tools and processes to improve knowledge sharing, increase efficiency and promote open dialog. This includes Albert, our cloud-based tool for leaner, faster and more collaborative innovation. In addition, the center is home to an advanced, data-driven laboratory that automatically prepares, tests and screens new formulations 24-hours a day. This accelerates the product development cycle and shortens time-to-market for new products, turning data into valuable insights that drive visionary new technologies.
The Inspiration Center Düsseldorf has a gross floor area of 47,000 sqm on seven floors.
2,900 tons of reinforced steel were used in the construction process of the building.
More than 500 employees will be working in the ICD.
The air exchange system turns around all air in the building seven times per hour.
The Inspiration Center contains 585 workstations - including 55 focus rooms and 48 phone booths.
The building also provides 56 meeting rooms with a total capacity of around 600 seats.
The Inspiration Center Düsseldorf has 28 standard labs.
In the basement there are 6 heavy labs that are 9 meters in height from floor to ceiling.
The Customer Exprience Infinity Room will be equipped with 24 touch screens. In the future, we will be able to dive into the entire range of our products, solutions, and technologies together with our customers.
The Inspiration Center Düsseldorf is the most sustainable building on our headquaters site and provides, amongst other features: - rainwater collection - refrigeration operated by highly efficient absorption machine - latest insulation standards.
An engaging environment for exploration
Inspired and empowered people are the key to developing groundbreaking technologies. That’s why employees from our innovation teams co-designed the new facility to ensure a truly best-in-class working environment. The labs are arranged in a modular setup that can be adapted to support key tasks for R&D and promote cross-team interaction. This flexible workspace allows our people to respond to changing market and technical needs, while enabling us to seize opportunities for future growth quickly and easily. The Inspiration Center also features rest areas and breakout spaces, and low-sweat fitness rooms will soon be added to help our people maintain an active body and mind. Furthermore, it is the most sustainable building at our Düsseldorf site, with a resource-efficient design that includes a rainwater collection system and a highly efficient refrigeration process, and that also meets the highest standards for building insulation.
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Giving customers an intimate and interactive experience
At its heart, our new Inspiration Center is about bringing our customers and our experts together. Its flexible design means we can adapt every visit to create maximum value for each unique customer or partner’s needs. It showcases Henkel’s broad portfolio of existing technologies and our spirit of innovation, and offers a hands-on and emotional experience that strengthens customer intimacy. In this way, the center supports our constant efforts to build trust-based relationships as the foundation for long-lasting and successful collaboration. Together with our partners, we can then seek ways of creating real business value, boosting efficiency and sustainability, and tapping into future growth opportunities.
This building reflects our vision of the future at Adhesive Technologies. It is an inspirational place to collaborate, innovate and find groundbreaking solutions to key challenges.
Michael Todd, Vice President Innovation & New Business Development for Adhesive Technologies
Our journey into the future
The Inspiration Center in Düsseldorf is the latest step in our deep commitment to developing technologies for today and tomorrow – as a truly customer-centric and knowledgeable partner. It is designed to combine our passion for advanced science with our strong focus on sustainability and digitalization, and is the first in a network of innovation and customer centers that we are now building around the globe. In Shanghai, for example, another Inspiration Center for our Adhesive Technologies business is expected to open in 2023, where more than 400 Henkel experts will interact with partners from across industries in the Asia-Pacific region. By creating central hubs to collaborate with representatives from every stage in our value chain, we are exploring the path to a future where anything is possible. And we are excited about where our shared journey will take us.
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INNOVATION
UNDERSTANDING CHANGE, SHAPING THE FUTURE
Every innovation starts with an extraordinary idea. But an idea is only the first step. A leap forward in innovation requires more. It takes an idea that excites – the market, consumers, or our customers. The key to sustainable growth and prosperity are innovative products and technologies that address challenges, bring about change and achieve visions.
