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Raising the roof! New Innovation Hub reaches milestone

new Innovation Hub in Trieste, Italy
20 June 2022

STORIES AND FEATURES

Raising the roof! New Innovation Hub reaches milestone

20 JUNE 2022

BAT holds half-way point ceremony for phase 1 of new A Better Tomorrow™ Innovation Hub

BAT has marked an important milestone – the halfway point in phase one of the construction of our new Innovation Hub in Trieste, Italy.

The Hub, a world-class innovation and sustainability centre, will help us deliver our A Better Tomorrow™ strategy to reduce the health impact of our business.

The event was held at the construction site in north-east Italy and saw the laying of the roof take place during a ceremony to celebrate the fact that 50 percent of the first phase has been completed. The image above shows a 3D render of how the Hub will look when completed.

As well as a new manufacturing site, the Hub will host BAT's digital boutique, an innovation lab and a centre of excellence for digital transformation and marketing.

Roberta Palazzetti

Speaking at a media conference, Roberta Palazzetti (pictured left), President and CEO of BAT Italy and Area Director for Southern Europe, said: "Today we celebrate an important step towards the completion of our Innovation Hub, as part of BAT's global strategy for innovation and sustainability, right here in Trieste.

“We chose Trieste as the location for this Hub because it allows us to draw on the significant technological capabilities for which it is known, while giving back by supporting development opportunities through jobs and growth."

This exciting project will also support the local area by creating opportunities for jobs and growth. In total, BAT Italy plans to invest up to 500 million euros and create around 2,700 direct and indirect jobs over the next five years.

A sustainable Hub

 

The facility which will house the Hub is designed with sustainability front and centre and aims to achieve high performance in environmental sustainability and energy efficiency.

The Hub is designed to optimise energy consumption and use intelligent heat recovery. Water consumption will be reduced by dry cooling and a system to harvest rainwater. The facility will be equipped with high-efficiency photovoltaic solar panels that aim to cover the entire roof and produce over 1,200 megawatt hours of electricity per year. An autonomous biomass-fuelled power plant will produce over 1,900 MWh of heat. This will be supplemented by a 100% renewable electricity supply.

Following a mandatory period of data collection, the site aims to apply for the following certifications:

  •  Carbon neutrality: PAS2060:2014 Standard certification
  •  Environmental management: ISO 14001 certification
  •  Energy management: ISO 50001 certification
  •  Water management: Alliance for Water Stewardship certification
  •  Energy & environmental design: Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification
  •  Waste management: Zero Waste to Landfill certification.

 

For more information about BAT’s approach to  sustainability, read our latest ESG Report.