Puratos Group Rolls Out Investments in Japan and China

Feb 20 2012 --- As part of its continuous investments, as announced in December 2011, the Puratos Group is opening a new innovation centre in Osaka, Japan. The innovation centre, which will be inaugurated during an opening reception on 22 February, will play a key role in supporting the Group’s R&D efforts tailored to the local market. The centre will also offer a platform for gaining insights and sharing expertise with local customers.

At the same time, the Puratos Group continues the rollout of the Sunrise project in Guangzhou, China. This three-phase project will include a regional innovation centre, as well as laboratories, pilot lines and a manufacturing facility with room for future expansion. The first phase of the project is planned to be operational in April 2012.

 

CNS Media recently spoke to Daniel Malcorps, CEO of the Puratos Group about how the company is seeking to establish regional development facilities in order to better serve the global market: 

 

“Bread utilizes global technologies, but there is no global product for bread; beyond perhaps the humble hamburger bun, ultimately all products are local because bakery products are extensions of the local culture. Therefore we need to translate our global technologies into local products that appeal to local consumers everywhere,” he adds.

 

In order to meet this demand, Puratos is implementing an increasing focus on R&D, including the placement of a prevalent role on sensory analysis and consumer insights. Puratos now invests around 2.7% of turnover on R&D, a significant rise from the 1.5% invested in 2002.

 

As a measure of its global reach, the company now has some 53 production facilities across the globe. “As we want to be closer to our customers, we have reinvested at local level to have strong R&D teams closer to our customers,” Malcorps says. “It is good that we are doing this. This is part of our concept of being a reliable partner in innovation. If we were not delivering on the innovation part I don’t think we would have the success that we have had historically,” he adds.