Harnessing AI for taste creation: Firmenich partners on Digital Lab

06 Aug 2018 --- Firmenich has inaugurated its Digital Lab – D-Lab – in partnership with the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), an institute for science and technology. A key milestone of Firmenich’s digital strategy, D-Lab is dedicated to harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI), to augment the group’s innovation across fragrance and taste creation. Expanding Firmenich’s footprint to the EPFL Innovation Park, the digital hub brings together Firmenich creators and experts with key members of the Campus’s dynamic ecosystem, according to the company.

“Ever since our creation as a start-up 123 years ago, pushing the boundaries of science and technology has always been our engine of growth,” says Gilbert Ghostine, CEO Firmenich. “Fueled by EPFL’s unique innovation ecosystem, D-Lab puts Firmenich at the forefront of AI, to augment our creativity for even greater speed and personalized solutions.”

“While digitalization is disrupting business models across every industry, it is also generating exciting new business opportunities,” notes Martin Vetterli, President of EPFL. “By combining the dynamic start-up ecosystem-based at the EPFL, with Firmenich’s industry-leading innovation, together we will be able to apply breakthrough science to create bespoke sensorial experiences faster than ever before.”

“D-Lab is all about converging human creativity with digital technologies to augment our creation capabilities,” explains Eric Saracchi, CIO, Firmenich. “It’s exciting to be stepping into unchartered territory with our creators to accelerate our industry’s next technology frontier.”

Recognized among the world’s top 10 Engineering and Technology institutions, EPFL is renowned for its leading innovation ecosystem, bringing together startups, forward-thinking companies and leading academics.

EPFL is one of Firmenich’s most long-standing academic partners, where the Group recently created the Firmenich Chair in Neurosciences. As active members of Western Switzerland’s innovation network, EPFL’s proximity with Firmenich’s main Research & Development Center in Geneva accelerates the region’s thriving ecosystem.

FoodIngredientsFirst has reached out to Firmenich for further details on this partnership and the potential role for AI in the flavors sector.