Recticel has for many years run its own Research and Development Centre (the IDC – International Development Center) to be able to respond to the different challenges imposed on producers by the various product markets. Moreover, it has appeared that centralised research activities are the best guarantee to capitalise on the future needs efficiently and flexibly. Alongside the development of new or improved products, the necessary attention is also paid to the further optimisation of existing production processes in all business lines. Although the Automotive business line still accounts in relative terms for the lion’s share of the budget, in the coming years the distribution among the various business lines will be far more even.

Not only Recticel’s own activities, but also the various joint ventures can call on the expertise of the Research and Development team. As a result, the operational resources assigned are used more efficiently and this also ensures that all communication channels with the various markets remain fully open. Active and constructive interaction between the research team and those who are directly in contact with the markets is the positive way forward for all parties concerned. Just as in other fields, pooling knowledge will not only boost efficiency, but also speed up developments.

Alongside the search for commercial or technological success, Research and Development also pays considerable attention to clean technology and ecologically sound products and production methods. In this way, Research and Development contributes to the Group’s unique industrial position and to the prosperity of all.

To carry out its mission, the IDC is mainly driven by results. The results and follow-up to new inventions and discoveries are monitored internally via a balanced score card registration system. Applications have been made for three new patents during the past year