Nestlé opened on Monday its first Research and Development (R&D) Centre in Ireland.
The FMCG giant has invested €27 million in its first R&D Centre in Co. Limerick. The new facility will focus on milk-based maternal and infant nutrition products for the global market.
There are over 40 research staff working at the R&D Centre, which is co-located with Nestlé’s Wyeth Nutrition manufacturing plant. Wyeth Nutrition Ireland manufactures milk powder products for infants, young children and mothers for export.
Michael Creed, minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and Thomas Hauser, head of Global Product and Technology Development for Nestlé S.A. officially led the opening of the new R&D Centre. Patrick O’Donovan, minister of State, Department of Finance and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform; Orla Battersby, divisional manager, Enterprise Ireland and Thierry Philardeau, head of Nestlé’s Nutrition Strategic Business Unit, also attended the event.
“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. 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,” Thomas Hauser, head of Global Product and Technology Development for Nestlé S.A., said.
The R&D Centre will focus on creating products for mothers and infants, using its state-of-the-art facilities and a full pilot-scale manufacturing line to facilitate the development. The latest project investment was supported by Enterprise Ireland.
“This is a strategically important investment for Ireland by the world’s largest food and beverage company. We are honoured to have a world leading research facility that provides a cutting-edge scientific base to develop new products that will bring health benefits to infants, children and mothers worldwide. Nestlé’s decision to invest and open this centre further places Ireland internationally as a location that offers quality raw dairy materials combined with a highly educated and skilled workforce. It is a major signal of confidence in the future and quality of the Irish dairy industry,” Michael Creed, minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, said.
“Enterprise Ireland is committed to supporting companies like Nestlé to increase their level of innovation, improve their competitiveness and expand their global footprint, with the ultimate goal of delivering export growth for Ireland. Enterprise Ireland is also responsible for attracting Foreign Direct Investment from the global food industry into Ireland and the opening of this new showcase plant reflects highly on the entire Irish dairy sector – pooling together innovation with best-in-class facilities,” Orla Battersby, head of the Nestlé Food Division, Enterprise Ireland said.
