Mondelēz International has announced it is investing $6 million in its Reading Science Centre in the UK to support the development of new products.
According to a company statement, the Reading Science Centre currently houses more than 290 scientists, chemists, food technologists and other specialists.
Over the next five years, the new investment will result in the creation of 50 highly skilled food science and engineering jobs, the company said.
The company also plans to develop a global network of state-of-the-art technical hubs, it added.
Innovation
These centres will support Mondelēz' growth-oriented innovation agenda by improving speed, efficiency and effectiveness, while enabling the company to address evolving consumer needs more quickly.
This is on top of the company's previously announced global investment of $65 million in its eleven technical centres worldwide.
“Our mission at Mondelēz International is simple – to offer consumers the right snack, for the right moment, made the right way. Our global Technical Centre network is crucial to support this,” said Rob Hargrove, executive vice president, Research, Development and Quality.
“Reading is our largest global R&D centre dedicated to research work and, as such, it’s a central hub for food testing and analysis for all our product categories. This new investment will enable us to further accelerate our understanding of the science behind our products.” he added.
Investment
“Over the last seven years, we’ve invested over $25 million into our research centres in Reading and Birmingham and they play a vital role in developing products for consumers, not just in the UK, but across the world," said Louise Stigant, UK managing director, Mondelēz International.
"This extra investment will allow for the creation of 50 highly skilled jobs. It will also help accelerate our growth strategy, offering innovative chocolate, biscuit and candy products that meet the changing needs of consumers, while maintaining a competitive edge in the markets of tomorrow.” she said.
The Reading centre is part of a global network of eleven technical centres, located in Curitiba, Brazil; Suzhou, China; Thane, India; Mexico City, Mexico; East Hanover, New Jersey; Wroclaw, Poland; Jurong, Singapore; Bournville, United Kingdom; Reading, United Kingdom; Saclay, France and Munich, Germany.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Helen Galgey. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
