Corbion today officially opened an advanced R&D and applications laboratory in Gorinchem, Netherlands. The new facility will be pivotal to the company’s continued delivery of world-class and ground-breaking food ingredient and biochemical products and services to customers across the globe.

Home to more than 150 technical specialists, the laboratory focuses on the conception and development of new biobased products, comprehensive application development work and testing and trials. State-of-the-art equipment and an experienced team, says Corbion, will enable it to offer customers more collaborative NPD services, faster development times, and exhaustive testing and trialing under conditions that mimic their specific manufacturing environments.

With a wide range of production and analytical equipment in the 3,500-square-meter facility, Corbion says it now can innovate faster, manufacture flexibly for rapid sample provision or testing, and dramatically boost its efficiency and responsiveness to customers in the meat, confectionery and other food and beverage sectors. The center houses cutting-edge manufacturing equipment, microbiology instrumentation, taste-testing and sensory facilities and a fully equipped kitchen to mimic product preparation and use in the home.

In addition to its work in the food industry, Corbion’s new research center will develop biochemical solutions that improve the sustainability and performance of industrial products, such as coatings and adhesives, chemicals, home and personal care, pharmaceuticals and animal nutrition. Testing and polymerization of the company’s new PLA bioplastic resin also took place in dedicated bioplastics R&D laboratories in the new lab building.

“This new R&D applications laboratory is a prime example of Corbion’s ongoing commitment to and investment in the development of world-leading solutions and services,” says Boudewijn van Nuland, vice president of marketing at Corbion. “With over 80 years in biobased products, this exciting news shows we remain at the forefront of the industry. The laboratory’s state-of-the-art equipment and extensive tasting and microbiology capabilities position us to deliver an even higher level of customer-driven innovation and value over the coming years.”