Henkel Adhesive Technologies has completed an upgrade of its Düsseldorf-based Packaging Competence Center, bringing together testing, development and training operations at a single location in Germany. The project follows the company’s strategic collaboration with Nordmeccanica announced in May 2025 and is aimed at advancing sustainability-focused work in flexible packaging applications. The upgraded site has been equipped with new machinery and systems designed to replicate industrial production environments, allowing customers to test adhesive and coating technologies under conditions closer to commercial manufacturing.
The facility now houses two Nordmeccanica systems the Super Combi 5000 and the Super Simplex SL e800 which support standard coating and lamination processes commonly used across the packaging sector. Henkel has also added five mobile application trolleys using gearless flexo coating technology alongside digital systems intended for structured data collection and process analysis. Through the Packaging Competence Center, customers are able to evaluate adhesive and coating systems before scaling them for industrial production. The company said the facility has also strengthened its pressure-sensitive adhesive testing operations with the addition of coating systems, ultraviolet activation equipment and measurement technologies focused on speciality tapes and labels.
Henkel stated that the upgraded site is connected with the neighbouring Inspiration Center Düsseldorf, linking chemistry development, application testing, industrial validation and training functions. According to the company, the integrated approach supports packaging development from product design through to recycling, including work carried out in its in-house recyclability testing laboratory. The centre also supports customer-focused training initiatives including the Converter’s Academy and the PSA Academy, both of which are focused on production transfer and application technologies.
Henkel Europe packaging adhesives and coatings head Dirk Martin said: “The choice of adhesive or coating made today is defining the packages that will reach the shelves tomorrow.
“With our Packaging Competence Center, we are making sure those choices are the right ones by giving our customers and partners a unique environment to develop, test, and scale the solutions that will shape the future of packaging: faster, smarter and more sustainably than ever before.”
Last month, Henkel Adhesive Technologies broadened its paper coatings portfolio with water-based barrier and heat-seal technologies developed for paper packaging applications. The products are intended to improve the functionality of paper-based packaging formats while supporting recycling-compatible packaging design efforts.