FrieslandCampina Innovation Centre

Bolidt News

FrieslandCampina Innovation Centre

FrieslandCampina supplies dairy products to about one billion people worldwide. The dairy co-op ranks among the five largest dairy companies in the world. In order to strengthen that leading position, Royal FrieslandCampina decided to consolidate its international research knowledge within one new Innovation Centre on the campus of Wageningen University and Research Centre.

Over 6,000 m² of laboratory and testing space

Since October 2013, about 450 researchers employed by FrieslandCampina have been working under one roof to develop innovative new products. The transparent building houses laboratories, a pilot factory, equipment rooms and offices. As designed by architectural firm OeverZaaijer, the departments are arranged around the heart of the building on the ground floor: the Experience Centre, where visitors and employees from all over the world can smell and sample products.

Customised interior and flooring

In the light-filled, white entrance hall, the eye is immediately drawn to the eleven metre high ‘milk splash’, a playful reference to the company’s origins.

Deeper into the building, interior design company Fokkema & Partners designed well-arranged laboratories with warm, greyish brown Bolidt flooring. After the previous successful collaboration on the Shell laboratory, the interior designers worked closely with Bolidt to create a customised floor for each space. Ease of maintenance and wear resistance were important requirements for the white entrance hall and the restaurant, while hygiene and chemical resistance were the highest priority in the laboratories. Bolidtop^® 500 SAR is pre-eminently suitable for laboratories: liquid-tight, highly chemical resistant and resistant to organic solvents, such as acetone and methylene chloride. The industrial spaces were mainly fitted with Bolidtop^® 700. This mechanically compacted flooring system can withstand extreme loads and the slightly non-slip surface contributes to a safe working environment.

BREEAM certified

The FrieslandCampina Innovation Centre is not just innovative, but also has recognised environmental credentials. The building achieved a ‘very good’ rating under BREEAM-NL, an assessment method to measure the sustainability performance of buildings. The sustainable Bolidt flooring systems have demonstrably contributed to this design certification. A specific flooring system was selected for each space to best meet user needs and sustainability standards, thus providing a solid basis for every new dairy product – from Yazoo milkshakes to functional foods – taking shape and being tested in this Innovation Centre and going out into the world. Bolidt, no limits!