Organization
Research, Development & Innovation
We have nearly 4000 active scientists and technologists in AkzoNobel who perform leading-edge research, product & process development and provide technical support for our customers and manufacturing operations. They are based in more than 160 laboratories world-wide.
The organizational model for our research and development activities is fairly simple. It has three key interlocking elements:
About 95 percent of our research population is based in the businesses. They are the customer-facing, applications-driven powerhouse of RD&I. Their task is to develop and support new products and create better processes for making them.
They are supported by corporate teams of scientists organized into six Expert Capability Groups. They work as partners in the Business Innovation Teams, delivering expertise in particular fields of science and technology that are critical to their innovation programs.
The third leg of our organizational model is the system of Communities of Practice. These are virtual “super networks” of experts in particular fields whose role it is to ensure that we share and make the best possible use of the product knowledge, applications know-how and customer needs that we hold within the company by bringing together technical and other experts in innovation. Their role is also to propose solutions to fix gaps in our collective knowledge.