Viton, one of the few purely Czech manufacturers in the coatings sector, has expanded its on-site research and development laboratory at its site in Ceske Budejovice, South Bohemia. With an annual R&D budget of around EUR 500,000, the company aims to enhance collaboration between its development and production departments, thereby accelerating the market launch of new or significantly improved products in Central Europe.

“After a year of intensive work, we are now bringing several new-generation products to market,” says Dr Michal Petrášek, CTO of Viton. According to Petrášek, the aim is to increase the number of innovative, high-performance coatings available, building on the company’s international experience.

Focus on plastics and composites

The newly expanded laboratory is described as the strongest R&D unit in the company’s history. Traditionally, Viton has specialised in coating materials for metal surface treatment and heavy-duty corrosion protection. Since 2023, however, the focus has broadened to include specialised solutions for the plastics and composites industries.

Václav Drbout, CEO of Viton, points out that the company now offers pigment preparations and liquid colours for a wide range of plastics and gelcoats. These products are supplemented by user-friendly software solutions. The next step will be to increase the proportion of waste and renewable raw materials in production – a relatively new area for the company.