BLANCO is investing a seven-figure sum in a new Product and Innovation Centre at its headquarters in Oberderdingen. The specialist in premium system solutions for the kitchen water place in private homes is having a multi-storey building converted so that it will now be geared towards future-oriented product development. The Product & Innovation Centre will house various teams from the Global Products and Research & Development (R&D) areas, which are currently spread across different locations.
“We are delighted to be able to make this tremendous investment at our headquarters thanks to our successful growth. The Product & Innovation Centre will offer employees an optimal setting for working on the BLANCO UNITs of the future in collaboration and across different disciplines,” says CEO Frank Gfrörer. “We will pool our collective expertise here to develop needs-based solutions for international markets, using agile methods and making the most of the superb interaction between all of those involved,” says the BLANCO Group boss.
The high-quality system solutions for all drink, prep and clean activities enhance the level of convenience and the joy at the water place which is one of the most active areas in the kitchen. All of the UNIT components – from the mixer tap, the water system and the sink to the cleverly configured base cabinet – are developed and designed at the headquarters.
In the 2020 business year in particular, BLANCO has invested over €18 million in machinery, systems and tools for production sites, logistics and digitalisation in numerous areas and locations worldwide, triggered by strong demand. The new BLANCO Test and Training Centre at the headquarters was only recently put into operation.
The spatial consolidation of the teams within the new Product & Innovation Centre will open up completely new possibilities in agile product development. In addition, the three-storey building, which covers 1,600 square metres, will incorporate contemporary office concepts. For example, some of the workstations are mobile and free for anyone to use, which also supports working from home. The cuttingedge concept deployed here also features fixed workstations, leisure rooms, areas for project work, technology pools, communication zones and areas for focused work. The conversion work should be largely completed by mid-2022, ready for around 95 employees to move into the building in the third quarter.
