High speed-to-market: Symrise and Unilever unveil new creative center

06 Nov 2019 --- Located in the “Food Valley” of Wageningen, the Netherlands, Symrise is pioneering a new approach to food innovation by installing an innovation lab at the Unilever Foods Innovation Centre on the Wageningen University & Research (WUR) campus. As a result of Symrise’s close proximity to Unilever’s operations and the university’s science faculty, “innovative culinary foods will be developed at a much faster pace.” Key objectives of the new center include meeting current and future requirements for healthier and more sustainable market products, such as plant-based foods, and developing products for new consumption occasions like snacking and meal bridging.

“This approach will enable the companies to optimally integrate and develop new products together in a creative and efficient manner,” explains Heinrich Schaper, President of the Flavor Division at Symrise. “The site will make it possible for us to leverage the expertise of the best Agri-Agro researchers from around the world.” 

Previously, Symrise taste experts developed finished product ideas at their own facilities, which were then presented to customers from the food industry. The German flavor house’s new creative center, developed with Unilever, comprises a flavor creation lab, an application kitchen and collaboration rooms that cover 120-square meters.

“This approach, which resembles a holistic ecosystem in which specialists from Unilever and Symrise are directly connected to one another as well as with scientists from WUR, has enormous potential. It can be adopted by other customers and enable go-to-market product acceleration. It also provides the long-term benefits of adding depth to our understanding of customers and their markets,” says Schaper.

Employees of Symrise will be invited to lecture at Wageningen University & Research.WUR is recognized globally as a top institution for education and research in the areas of agriculture and nutrition. At the institution, over 5,000 scientists and 12,000 students are dedicated to studies in the agro-food and environmental domain. Employees of Symrise will also lecture at the university, and students will be invited for exchanges in Holzminden, Germany.

“We are thrilled about the idea of cooperation and direct knowledge exchange. Having the resources and expertise of Symrise located right at our site enables us to work even better together on the transformational journey towards a food system that is better for you and for the planet. It’s a first proof point of how we envisage working together with partners in an ecosystem. Consumers can look forward to very unique taste experiences,” says Manfred Aben, Vice President R&D and Head of the Foods Innovation Centre at Unilever.

Symrise aims at working together with Unilever on many different levels. In addition to taste, sustainability ranks high on the agenda of both companies. This new, on-site approach to integrated product development allows for more scientific collaboration on the field of sustainability. 

Combining research and consumer insights of both companies with an accelerated innovation pace delivers significant advantages – products can be developed faster, more efficiently and with high consumer relevance. To achieve this, Symrise will contribute a selection of raw materials and use them directly in the development of new products.

“Could a slight note of mint perfectly complement the taste of a lamb ragout? Or could coriander add that special twist to a seasoning sauce? The culinary professionals at Symrise explore the best ingredients for sauces, condiments, soups or dips on a daily basis,” states Symrise.

Symrise business highlights
In half-year results, Symrise reported “strong revenue growth” alongside “dynamic business development.” The company outlines high customer demand that led to an increase in organic sales of 6.2 percent. In addition, net income for the H1 was €11 million (US$12.2 million) higher compared to 2018, while the company continues to expect a sales growth of 5 to 7 percent for the current fiscal year.

Last week, the flavor house received antitrust clearance from the US Department of Justice concerning the acquisition of ADF/IDF (American Dehydrated Foods/International Dehydrated Foods), a US meat and egg-based protein specialist and pioneer in all-natural nutrition ingredients. As a condition to this clearance, Symrise has agreed to divest its manufacturing facility in Banks, Georgia (US). This development has been described as a “milestone” by Symrise which expects to close the ADF/IDF transaction “in a timely manner.”

In September, Symrise unveiled its new application labs in Nigeria, as part of a growth strategy to strengthen its presence in the growing West African market. The new facilities are based in Lagos, the largest city in Nigeria. In the labs, local Symrise experts will work on flavors for various application areas, in particular for beverages, sweet applications and savory foods. The company is seeking to meet the local preferences of regional customers as closely as possible with this local expansion. 

Last July, the company inaugurated a liquid flavoring production line at its expanded Rogovo, Russia site. This move expands the German company’s target customer group to include suppliers of sweets, dairy products and beverages, from its previous base of snack and ready meal suppliers. 

By Benjamin Ferrer

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