For Peter Verveer, developing a new product is never just about solving today’s challenge. Every decision also needs to account for the constantly evolving automotive industry.
Supply chains shift, regulations evolve and technologies change direction. Automotive platforms move from combustion engines to electrification, while environmental conditions, chemical requirements and processing demands continue to change around them. Peter considers all of that before a new material reaches the market.
As Senior Associate Development Engineer at Avery Dennison, he works at the intersection of chemistry, performance, compliance and long-term product reliability. His role is not simply about developing new materials, but about making sure those materials will still meet expectations years from now.
Turning ideas into technical reality
I’ve always been interested in science. Even as a child, I was fascinated by chemistry, biology and astronomy. I collected minerals, read scientific books and experimented whenever I could. What still motivates me today is understanding how something works and finding a better way to approach it.
Before joining Avery Dennison, I spent 12 years in the pharmaceutical industry scaling chemistry from laboratory scale into pilot plant production. Moving to Avery Dennison brought me much closer to the market and to the products themselves. Today, a large part of my role is translating market requests into technical reality. I work closely with Product Managers, Business Development Managers and application laboratories to understand what customers are really asking for and whether an idea is achievable, relevant and likely to succeed.
That process always starts with questions. What performance is required? What are the critical factors? What volumes are expected? We translate those inputs into critical-to-quality requirements before development begins.
The important thing is prioritization. A good idea still has to be achievable, sellable and relevant to the market. Development for the sake of development has no value. The focus has to stay on products that solve real problems.
