Borealis, a provider of chemical and plastics solutions, will inaugurate its international Innovation Headquarters in Linz, Austria. The total project cost was approximately E50m.
About 350 international Borealis employees from over 30 countries, working in research and product development as well as in marketing and sales, are developing plastic materials of the future for Borealis and housed in the Innovation Headquarters. Over 100 new employees in research and development complement the existing approximately 1,100 employees who are currently working for Borealis in Linz.
Gerhard Roiss, deputy chairman of executive board at OMV, and chairman of the Borealis supervisory board, said: “With a total investment of E50m in the global Innovation Headquarters we are giving momentum for the plastics location Upper Austria. Plastics are the material of the future, and with a global production volume of 245m tonnes, it is a real growth sector.
“In Linz, we will now develop new plastic solutions for customers all over the world. By establishing the new and already well-accepted plastics engineering programme at Johannes Kepler University in Linz, we will be able to cover the growing demand for well-trained specialists and scientists also in the future. With this new programme, Linz will be able to position itself as an attractive location for international experts in the field of research and development.”
Mark Garrett, chief executive of Borealis, said: “Our international Innovation Headquarters in Linz strengthens our leadership position as a strong partner in innovation, with comprehensive know-how in the development of value creating solutions. In Linz, we offer our customers direct access to cutting-edge plastic processing equipment, the expertise of international specialists and scientists, and years of experience in the field of process and product development, at one single site.”