Significant Expansion of Development and Testing Capabilities: Matthews International Opens State-of-the-Art Development Center in Vreden – Battery Electrodes and Hydrogen Fuel Cell components included
Vreden – Matthews International Corporation (“Matthews” or the “Company”) today announced the official opening of its new Development Center in Vreden, Germany. Spanning over 1,000 square meters of usable space, the cutting-edge facility is dedicated to industrial process optimization, technological innovation, and the development of sustainable solutions for the future.
With this new Center, Matthews Engineering—a business within the Matthews Industrial Technologies segment—further strengthens its position as one of the global leaders and system architects of technologically advanced production systems. The group specializes in rotary manufacturing processes and tooling solutions for a wide range of web-shaped materials. These activities are consolidated under the Matthews Engineering brand, known for high-precision, intelligent engineering solutions – especially in the coating and converting industry and in new energy technologies.
The facility significantly expands the company’s development and testing capabilities. It combines state-of-the-art laboratory and simulation environments with highly adaptable testing areas, creating ideal conditions for optimizing existing processes and developing next-generation technologies.
At the heart of the new Development Center is a laboratory and process simulation hub where innovative production methods are developed, digitally simulated, and tested under real-world conditions for feasibility, scalability, and efficiency – ensuring rapid transfer to industrial application. The focus is on rotary processes and web materials used in the production of technical membranes, films, battery electrodes, and components for hydrogen fuel cells.
The lab areas are flexibly designed to meet a wide range of research needs. Modular testing spaces on the first floor allow for diverse pilot setups at near-industrial scale. The application-oriented hall on the ground floor will house Matthews Engineering’s latest generation, mass production scale rotary processing and calendaring equipment for energy storage—setting a new industry standard for R&D and industrial-scale innovation.
The facility also features advanced, configurable lab equipment—including the GK300L, Matthews Engineering’s versatile laboratory calender. With capabilities such as compressing, embossing, laminating, and coating, the GK300L offers a wide variety of testing options and enables the mapping of relevant scalable laboratory processes in the battery sector.
Modern engineering offices and an integrated maker workshop—equipped with the latest 3D printing and prototyping technologies—further complement the development environment. These tools offer valuable acceleration in the rapid implementation of industrial applications.
Cross-Site Collaboration Fuels an Innovation Ecosystem
The new Development Center is seamlessly integrated into Matthews’ broader innovation network. Together with development and testing hubs in the region, including in Bocholt —featuring specialized dry rooms and advanced coating test lines—a powerful innovation ecosystem is emerging. Close collaboration with industrial partners, companies, and research institutions is a core pillar of the company’s development strategy. Matthews is also a regular participant in publicly funded, forward-looking research projects in the renewable energy sector.
Thomas Hackfort, Senior Vice President, Design & Development, Matthews Engineering, says:
Our strength lies in seamlessly translating development into application.
“In Vreden, we create solutions that are not only technologically advanced but also precisely aligned with real-world requirements,”
Boosting Regional Impact and Global Industry Transformation
With the opening of the Vreden facility, Matthews is positioning itself as a long-term innovation leader across the world. The new Center unites theory and practice, offering an attractive environment for skilled professionals, engineers, and scientists.
Brandon Babe, President, Matthews Engineering, says:
The new Development Center is a clear commitment to the future of Matthews Engineering and to our valued customers.
“It’s a place where ideas become market-ready innovations, and where we work alongside our partners to actively shape the transformation of industrial processes,”
This investment underscores Matthews’ ongoing commitment to technological excellence, the close integration of research and application, and its role as an innovator in industrial solutions for the energy transition and beyond.
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Significant Expansion of Development and Testing Capabilities: Matthews International Opens State-of-the-Art Development Center in Vreden – Battery Electrodes and Hydrogen Fuel Cell components included, source
