Mondelēz unveils Technical Center in Singapore, part of a US$65m investment

06 Feb 2018 --- Mondelēz International has unveiled its newest global Technical Center in Jurong, Singapore. The facility focuses on innovation, developing new products and technologies for some of the company's iconic brands like Clorets, Halls, Stride, Trident gum, Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate and Oreo biscuits.

The Singapore Technical Center is part of the company's previously announced US$65 million investment in nine fully equipped and technologically advanced Research, Development, Quality and Innovation (RDQI) hubs, strategically positioned around the globe. These centers enable Mondelēz International to better recruit, retain and develop talent across a range of science and technical disciplines while streamlining processes and accelerating the company's growth and innovation.

Valérie Moens, Associate Director, Corporate External Communications for Mondelēz International told FoodIngredientsFirst: “Singapore has a well-earned reputation for innovation, and was ranked 7th in last year’s Global Innovation Index. It also has fantastic infrastructure and a sophisticated RDQI ecosystem, providing the perfect foundations for us to push the boundaries of innovation, and develop new products and technologies to excite and delight our customers. Singapore also boasts a skilled and diverse talent pool, and we look forward to developing and nurturing that talent as we hire and train the next generation of innovators.”

“The new global Technical Center is part of a US$65 million investment in nine fully equipped and technologically advanced Research, Development, Quality and Innovation (RDQI) hubs, strategically positioned around the globe. These centers enable us to better recruit, retain and develop talent across a range of science and technical disciplines, while streamlining processes and accelerating the company’s growth and innovation.”

“Specifically, the Singapore hub will focus on some of our iconic Power brands such as Clorets and Halls candy; Stride, Trident and Dentyne gum; Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate and Oreo biscuits and will conduct research and analysis in three areas, which are key to our business,” she explains.

Innovation – to develop new or improved formats for snacks, their recipes and packaging
Quality improvement – due to constantly evolving consumer preferences, Mondelēz experts constantly analyze particular categories of products available in the market, including those offered by competition, in search of the highest quality ingredients, with the best flavor as well as those that optimize production costs
Implementation and efficiency – optimization of line and production efficiency

“Our purpose and vision at Mondelēz International are simple – to create more moments of joy for our consumers with our much-loved brands by building the best snacking company in the world,” says Maurizio Brusadelli, EVP & President AMEA (Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa). “Singapore's fantastic infrastructure, thriving RDQI ecosystem and the collaborative approach of government organizations makes it a perfect place for innovation. This is one of the many reasons why we have made Singapore the home of our AMEA region.”

“Through our advantaged Technical Centers, we're focusing our investment in research, equipment and capabilities, driving innovation to support our growth strategy, margin and quality platforms,” says Rob Hargrove, Executive Vice President, Research, Development, Quality and Innovation.

“As consumers' preferences and lifestyles continue to evolve, innovation is core to achieving that mission. These hubs will improve speed, efficiency and effectiveness, while increased scale will enable us to more quickly meet consumer needs. As a world-class RDQI team, we want to attract people at the forefront of thriving innovation scenes. Singapore has an incredible and diverse pool of young tech talent, which we look forward to nurturing as part of our RDQI team.”

The Singapore hub joins five other Mondelēz International Technical Centers – East Hanover, New Jersey, in the United States; Curitiba in Brazil; Bournville and Reading, both in the UK; and Wroclaw in Poland – which are already in full operation.

The remainder of the company's network of redesigned Technical Centers – in India, Mexico and China – are expected to open in 2018 and 2019.

By Elizabeth Green