Trelleborg Sealing Solutions has signed a contract for a new building in Stuttgart, Germany that will house the business area’s global headquarters, its German headquarters and various global support departments, as well as a significantly extended R&D area. This substantial investment will see usable space for R&D increasing by 50%, to around 3,000 square meters, including a 300 square meter showroom area dedicated to the department and demonstrating all R&D capabilities. The move is intended to transform and further expand the current facilities in Stuttgart into a world class innovation center, equipped with cutting-edge technology and a state-of-the-art work environment. Claus Barsøe, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Business Area President, says: “Innovation is one of Trelleborg Group’s core values and within Trelleborg Sealing Solutions it is fundamental to everything we do. The innovation center in Stuttgart is being created to raise the bar in terms of sealing material and product development and will provide the ideal environment for future joint development projects with our customers.” Carsten Stehle, General Manager of Trelleborg Sealing Solutions in Germany, says: “The new building, incorporating a ‘Work and Live Space’ concept, will offer a perfect environment for our processes and project work. This, as well as improved transparency, will speed up and facilitate easy internal and external communications, allowing us to spend more time on partnerships with customers and suppliers. In addition, according to our Corporate Social Responsibility guidelines, the building will exceed the latest environmental standards.” The Trelleborg Sealing Solutions R&D facility is part of the business area’s global R&D network that includes the R&D facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana in the U.S., which has also been recently expanded. The new building will be close to the current headquarters in Stuttgart-Vaihingen. Trelleborg Sealing Solutions expects the move to be completed by mid-2018.