Nestlé has announced the launch of an R&D accelerator programme in Lausanne in Switzerland to boost the development of innovative products and systems.
It will bring together scientists from Nestlé, students, and start-ups, who will implement the latest technologies for designing new products.
'Innovation Power-House'
Nestlé CTO, Stefan Palzer, said, "Combining our internal expertise and the deep knowledge of our academic and industrial partners with the external entrepreneurial creativity is a unique approach and will create an innovation powerhouse.
"It will accelerate the translation of innovative ideas and concepts into tangible prototypes and products."
The first teams have been selected, and the accelerator is expected to be operational by the end of 2019, the company said.
Better Opportunities
During the programme, the world's largest food company will allow various internal, external or mixed teams to use dedicated 'hot desks' at its research and development centre.
They will also have access to Nestlé’s R&D expertise and infrastructure, including shared labs, kitchens, bench-scale, and pilot-scale equipment.
The programme form part of Nestlé’s global R&D network, located at the company’s fundamental research entity in Lausanne, which employs around 800 people.
Value Creation
Mayor of Lausanne, Grégoire Junod, added, “Nestlé’s research centre is a substantial plus for Lausanne, as it creates value in terms of economy and research, in particular by collaborating with the academic institutions of our region.
"This new accelerator further strengthens the links between nutrition, health or sport – other strong local assets and important focus areas of Lausanne."
Switzerland is an important centre for Nestlé, which invests around 60% of its global research and development budget in the country.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
