PHILADELPHIA — Axalta, a supplier of liquid and powder coatings, has celebrated the official opening of its Global Innovation Center, reported to be the largest coatings research and development center in the world, with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

The 175,000-foot Global Innovation Center offers new specialty labs, as well as office space. Its location in Philadelphia’s historic Navy Yard enables collaboration among Axalta employees, business partners, and customers throughout the Philadelphia area and beyond.

“Axalta’s Global Innovation Center will become the central hub for our global research, product development, and technology initiatives where we develop and deliver the most innovative coatings products in the world,” said Robert Bryant, interim chief executive officer, Axalta.

“Whether in color technology, polymer and formulation chemistry, or application knowledge, the world-class capabilities and talent at Axalta’s Global Innovation Center will fuel new products and deliver the solutions that our customers want to grow their businesses into the future.”

The Navy Yard location offers an attractive workplace for new talent, and the Axalta campus was built with researchers in mind, modeling an academic setting with a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces to foster teamwork and creativity.

The building, which is owned and developed by Liberty Property/Synterra, was designed by Erdy McHenry and merges design elements present throughout the Navy Yard. The front of the building is reminiscent of the classically inspired buildings preserved in the adjacent historic core of the Navy Yard, while the back of the building resembles the lofts and warehouse facilities nearby. See axalta.com