Nestlé has recently opened its first Research and Development Centre in Ireland at its existing manufacturing facility in Limerick.
This marks the completion of a three-year building programme with a capital investment of €27 million for the confectionary giant.
The new R&D centre will focus on scientific research to support innovations in the development of milk-based maternal and infant nutrition products for the global market.
Over 40 research staff are employed at the R&D Centre, which is co-located with Nestlé’s Wyeth Nutrition manufacturing plant. Wyeth Nutrition Ireland produces a range of premium milk powder products for infants, young children and mothers for export to world markets.
“Our Irish R&D Centre will benefit from Nestlé’s global R&D network and help to position Nestlé at the fore of infant and maternal nutritional product development, one of Nestlé’s most important growth drivers," Thomas Hauser, Head of Global Product and Technology Development for Nestlé S.A., said at the opening event.
"With this new centre, we will increase the pace of our innovation capacity by enabling our scientists to explore innovative nutritional solutions for the crucial first 1,000 days of life.”
'State-of-the-art'
The R&D Centre will concentrate on developing premium, science-based products for mothers and infants.
“Between our pilot plant and laboratories, we have installed state-of-the-art food processing equipment and analytical instruments," Dan O’Callaghan, Head of the new R&D Centre, stated.
"We will also complement our in-house activities through collaborative research programmes with Irish universities and with Teagasc – the Agriculture and Food Development Authority. This will enable our cross-functional team of research scientists to develop the next wave of innovative nutritional products to meet the demands of future generations.”
The project investment was supported by Enterprise Ireland.
© 2019 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
