United States. The Chemours Company formally opened its new innovation center, The Chemours Discovery Hub, at the University of Delaware Science, Advanced Research and Technology (STAR) Campus.
The state-of-the-art facility now houses more than 300 of the company's top researchers and scientists, consolidating most of the company's innovation efforts in the U.S. in one place to maximize collaboration and efficiency. The Chemours Discovery Hub is 312,000 square feet, contains more than 130 individual labs, and was built over the course of 24 months without a single time-wasted security incident.
At Discovery Hub, Chemours will deepen its research partnership with the University of Delaware and conduct experiments together with faculty and students to develop new applications for its products. In addition, the company will use its facilities to attract and recruit potential interns, cooperatives and employees.
"This is much more than a new R&D facility; it's about our company's investment in young minds who will be introduced to chemistry at Discovery Hub, our continued investment in Delaware, and our investment in a line of innovation that will empower our customers and change the world for the better," said Mark Vergnano, President and CEO of Chemours. "The Chemours Discovery Hub is a living symbol of the company we are becoming: open, collaborative, imaginative and future-focused. We are thrilled to see what innovations our team will dream of in this building, all within the creative environment of a public university."
"When we started the Chemours Discovery Hub here on the STAR Campus two years ago, we expressed our shared vision of a cutting-edge research partnership that would expand the boundaries of scientific knowledge, inspire the important work of our talented individuals, and fuel our economy for years to come," said UD President Dennis Assanis.
The Chemours Discovery Hub is one of the largest R&D centers in the state of Delaware and one of the largest R&D facilities in the chemical industry. Some of the company's own products were used in the construction of the building. Opteon refrigerants with low global warming potential enable 4,000 tons of cooling capacity, and the building is insulated with 96,000 pounds of Opteon spray foam. More than 2,800 gallons of paint, containing Ti-Pure titanium dioxide, were used in the building's cladding. Teflon fluoropolymers were used to insulate the building's 112 miles of network cable.
More than 2,000 windows line the Discovery Hub, maximizing the use of natural light through the building's open plan. More than 1.4 million pounds of ductwork and 26 miles of pipes and tubes were installed to serve the Discovery Hub's lab spaces.
The building has achieved a Three Globes rating from the Green Globes Sustainable Building Rating System.
