POLAND – Belgium-based building materials firm Unilin has announced plans to build a fully automated polyisocyanurate (PIR) insulation board plant in Leśnica, Poland, with operations set to begin by late 2026.

The EUR 40 million facility will produce 8 million square metres of insulation boards annually and create 40 new jobs.

The new plant will serve as a strategic hub for Eastern Europe, targeting Poland, eastern Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. According to Jeroen De Temmerman, President of Unilin’s Insulation division, the move taps into a fast-growing regional market and strengthens the company’s foothold outside its established bases in Western Europe and the UK & Ireland.

“The market in this region is still in full flux,” said De Temmerman. “Poland, for example, is expanding rapidly and has only two main local players. The new plant’s central location within a 500 km radius allows efficient service to multiple key markets, minimizing transport costs and emissions.”

The site, spanning 12 hectares, will house Unilin’s ninth manufacturing plant and eighth insulation line, equipped to handle recycled raw materials and deliver high-performance Utherm PIR insulation for roofs, walls, and floors.

The investment is part of Unilin’s strategy to diversify risk, boost sustainability, and meet increasing EU insulation standards driven by the European Green Deal. Existing plants will continue operations, while Belgian lines will ramp up production to support the rollout in Poland.