Fluidra opens its EMEA R&D&I center in Catalonia

• The company's new center will enhance efficiency while driving the development of more innovative and sustainable products and solutions.
• In addition, it will coordinate the activity of several R&D centers focused on different technologies and product families for both residential and commercial pools.
• Fluidra LAB, Fluidra Water Management and Fluidra Sustainable Products will be based out of the company's new R&D&I center.

Fluidra, the global leader in pool and wellness equipment and connected solutions, has launched the first phase of its new R&D&I center for EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) in Polinyà after breaking ground for construction in the last quarter of 2021. The center intends to centralize the knowledge and the region's activities, which will enhance efficiency and help make the company's new products and solutions more innovative and sustainable.

The first phase of the project was completed last April, with the installation of a major part of the engineering resources in the new offices. With room for up to 52 people, this office area has been designed following the same principle as the headquarters in Sant Cugat. The second phase is already underway and will be completed once the test area and the section of the laboratory dedicated to hydraulics and IoP (Internet of Pools) are operational.

The new center, which will be further developed in the coming months, will include a modern, fully equipped testing area with different pools and bodies of water, as well as a fully equipped R&D&I laboratory. The center aims to centralize knowledge to consider the pool as a whole and not as a sum of different teams, gaining in efficiency and focus. This will allow Fluidra to unite the R&D teams, forming a powerful multidisciplinary team, consolidating and transferring knowledge.

In addition to the EMEA R&D&I center, the space is also home to three other departments with a global scope of action. The first department is Fluidra LAB, which promotes innovation within the organization and coordinates Open Innovation activities, in addition to promoting the culture of innovation at Fluidra.

Fluidra LAB had processed over 75 initiatives by the end of last year. Of these, 12 are in the study phase, six are in the development phase and 14 have been passed along to the corresponding business unit and are being monitored.

The Sustainable Product department is also based at the Polinyà location. This global department aims to incorporate the circular economy into the design and production of Fluidra’s products while reducing their environmental and social impact. Fluidra is committed to ensuring that 80% of its products sold are classified as sustainable by 2035.

Finally, another of the new departments housed in this center is Water Management, a department that aims to offer the first-rate solutions for optimizing the use of water and energy in the pool system, minimizing environmental impact while always keeping water quality and the pool environment at optimal levels to provide the ultimate pool experience for both professional customers and users.