Insurer FM Global has invested in a research and product-testing centre, costing around $70m (£48m).
It says the centre is intended to meet its customers' property protection needs, expand its capabilities, increase its understanding of a wide variety of property hazards and advance the ever-evolving science of property protection.
The commercial and property insurer says the centre will enable it to extend its research focus beyond traditional areas including natural hazards, electrical and mechanical integrity, modeling and probabilities, and emerging technologies.
The project is part of an upgrade to the US FM Global Test Centre in West Glocester, RI, which was built in 1967.
The senior vice president of research and approvals, Tom Lawson, said: "FM Global is embarking on a new era of loss prevention research and testing services.
"When it is complete FM Global policyholders will benefit from faster response times to their needs, coupled with more advanced solutions that help them reduce their property risks.
"Manufacturers seeking FM Approval of their products also will see new services and faster product test turnaround times to help them get their products to market faster."
The FM Global Technology Centre is expected to open later this year.
