Henkel has inaugurated its new Inspiration Center Düsseldorf (ICD). With an investment volume of 130 million euros, the Adhesive Technologies business unit has built a state-of-the-art and unique global innovation and customer center on the premises of the company headquarters over the past few years. The company has also been gradually commissioning it since mid-2021.

Moreover, with a floor area of 47,000 square meters, the ICD provides space for 30 laboratories, 4 technology centers, and more than 650 Henkel experts. At the same time, the new building serves as a global customer center where Adhesive Technologies presents its entire technology portfolio of adhesives, sealants and functional coatings and works on new solutions together with customers from over 800 industry segments. The inauguration of the ICD will take place during a multi-day customer event focused on innovation and sustainability.

“The ICD marks the largest single investment in our company’s history and is a key element of our strategic framework for purposeful growth. With this state-of-the-art building, which is unique in the industry, we have created the infrastructure to take the innovation capabilities of Adhesive Technologies to the next level,” said Henkel CEO Carsten Knobel.

Knobel continued, “In 1922, Henkel started producing adhesives for its own use – today we are very proud to celebrate another milestone in the 100-year success story of Adhesive Technologies, which will further expand our leading position in the adhesives business. As such, the ICD is a prime example that embodies both our pioneering spirit for sustainable action and our long-term entrepreneurial thinking.”

“The ICD reinforces our commitment to further strengthen our globally leading portfolio and know-how in materials science and to create value for our customers,” added Jan-Dirk Auris, Executive Vice President Henkel Adhesive Technologies. “We offer our employees here an inspiring working environment that promotes knowledge exchange and daily collaboration and uses state-of-the-art technologies. At the same time, the ICD brings our entire portfolio to life for our customers and enables close collaboration with them and with external partners on novel future-oriented solutions. Our focus is particularly on sustainable innovations that contribute, for example, to CO₂ reduction for our customers or to new solutions for a circular economy.”

Modern R&D Facilities, Digital Technologies

With the ICD, Henkel has designed a unique innovation building. On a total of seven levels, in addition to office workplaces and conference rooms, it comprises 30 laboratories with various research and testing facilities. Moreover, it has 4 technology centers with double-height rooms that house, among other things, pilot production lines and equipment for large-scale applications such as in the automotive industry or for engineered wood. The laboratories are modular and can be adapted quickly and flexibly depending on the research and development task and to support collaboration between teams.

The heart of the building is a large light-flooded atrium including a coffee bar, which promotes the exchange of ideas between employees and provides space for events with partners, suppliers, customers, universities and start-ups. The ICD is the most sustainable building at the company’s site in Düsseldorf. It is designed to be resource-efficient, has a rainwater collection system, highly efficient refrigeration technology and meets the highest building insulation requirements

The building offers space for more than 650 employees from the areas of research and development, product development, application technology, technical service and innovation. They use advanced digital tools and processes to improve knowledge sharing, increase efficiency and foster open dialog. This includes the use of digital platform technologies, for example, an innovative cloud-based tool for leaner, faster and highly collaborative innovation.

In addition, the ICD has a modern, data-driven laboratory where new formulations are automatically prepared, tested and verified around the clock. This enables a faster product development cycle and reduced time to market for new products by transforming data into valuable insights that lay the foundation for innovative new technologies. The ICD is closely connected with the global network of research and application centers from Adhesive Technologies to enable tailored solutions of global technologies for local markets as well.

Close Collaboration with Customers

In addition to the extensive research and development facilities, Henkel has also integrated a modern customer experience center into the ICD. Here, with the help of modern digital technologies and numerous exhibits, customers from all over the world can directly experience the innovative and technological power as well as the pioneering spirit of Adhesive Technologies in a wide range of application areas. Thanks to the flexible design, each visit can be tailored to individual needs. The area is then used to intensify the exchange and collaboration between customers and Henkel experts, and to jointly develop and test new applications in the building.