Symrise to open innovation centre at Dutch Unilever facilities
Global fragrance and industry solutions group Symrise is set to expand its research facilities after installing an innovation lab at the Unilever Foods Innovation Centre at Wageningen Campus, in the Netherlands.
As the company noted, having its resources directly on the site of the major consumer manufacturer and by working together with scientists from Wageningen Unversity and Research, innovative culinary foods, including snacks ranges, are anticipated to be developed at an increased rate.
The newly commissioned creative centre is set to comprise a flavour creation lab, an application kitchen and collaboration rooms that cover 120 square metres.
It will enable the business to enhance its market understand and deliver against its customer’s needs. Knowledge exchange with customers and research institutes at joint facilities will serve as a successful model to achieve this. Symrise has now developed an integrated model with the consumer goods manufacturer Unilever, which has delivered established brands including Knorr, Wall’s, Lipton, Hellmann’s and Amora.
The company is constantly innovating, bringing new authentic taste ideas to consumers’ palates, meeting current and future requirements for healthier and more sustainable market products, such as plant-based foods and developing products for new consumption occasions like snacking and meal bridging.
Consequently, Symrise can help shape product development in an especially efficient way. For this purpose, Symrise is opening an application lab at Unilever’s Foods Innovation Centre in Wageningen in the Netherlands. Creative and efficient together
“This approach will enable the companies to optimally integrate and develop new products together in a creative and efficient manner,” says Heinrich Schaper, President Flavour Division at Symrise. “Furthermore, the site will make it possible for us to leverage the expertise of the best Agri-Agro researchers from around the world.”
Wageningen University & Research is recognised globally as the top institution for education and research in the areas of agriculture and nutrition, in which it possesses a rich hundred-year tradition. Over 5,000 scientists and 12,000 students are dedicated to studies in the agro-food and environmental domain. Employees of Symrise will also lecture at the university, and students will be invited for exchanges in Holzminden.
“We are thrilled about the idea of cooperation and direct knowledge exchange. Having the resources and expertise of a global leader, such as Symrise located right at our site enables us to work even better together on the transformational journey towards a food system that is better for you and for the planet. It’s a first proof point of how we envisage working together with partners in an ecosystem. Consumers can look forward to very unique taste experiences,” says Manfred Aben, Vice President R&D and Head of the Foods Innovation Centre at Unilever.
Symrise aims at working together with Unilever on many different levels. In addition to taste, sustainability ranks high on the agenda of both companies. Both their environmental and social commitments have been recognised on numerous occasions. This new, on-site approach to integrated product development allows for more scientific collaboration on the field of sustainability. Both society and consumers will profit from joint sustainable solutions.
In addition, the company added that research and consumer insights of both businesses with an accelerated innovation pace delivers significant advantages – products can be developed faster, more efficiently, with high consumer relevance. To achieve this, Symrise will contribute a selection of raw materials and use them directly in the development of new products.
