Unilever plans $270m global beauty innovation hub

The facility will serve as a hub for scientific research, product design and consumer insights

Unilever plans to establish a global innovation centre in New Haven, Connecticut, bringing together research and development capabilities for its beauty, wellbeing and personal care brands as the company seeks to accelerate product development and support growth in the US and international markets.

The facility will serve as a hub for scientific research, product design and consumer insights, combining technologies including artificial intelligence and quantum computing to speed up materials discovery, testing and product development. The centre is expected to be fully operational by spring 2029.

New Haven selected as innovation hub

The centre will be located in New Haven, Connecticut, a growing biosciences cluster that is home to universities, research institutions and technology companies. Unilever said the location will provide opportunities for collaboration with researchers and technology partners across the region.

By housing multiple stages of the innovation process under one roof, from formulation and fragrance development to packaging design and consumer insights, the company aims to improve collaboration and shorten development timelines.

Herrish Patel, President of Unilever USA and CEO of Personal Care North America: "This new centre is where we'll innovate at the intersection of science, technology and culture. As the US becomes a centre of gravity for Unilever, we’re harnessing the best of American innovation to match our growth ambition here in the US and around the world."

Focus on beauty, wellbeing and personal care

The facility will include a global centre for skin care and cleansing, alongside Unilever’s polycultural skin and hair centre of excellence, which focuses on developing products and ingredients designed to meet the needs of a broad range of consumers.

A human performance lab will support testing and research for wellbeing products, generating physiological data and consumer insights intended to support innovation across the company’s health and wellness portfolio.

Fragrance and packaging capabilities brought together

The innovation centre will also house a dedicated fragrance facility where perfumers, chemists and packaging designers will collaborate throughout the product development process.

In addition, a packaging innovation studio will enable teams to incorporate real-time consumer feedback into prototype development, helping refine packaging concepts for both retail and e-commerce environments.

Access to New Haven’s research ecosystem is also expected to support work in areas including skin biology, the microbiome and the skin-brain axis, while expanding the company’s use of neuroscience to explore connections between sensory product experiences and consumer responses.

Investment supports long-term growth strategy

Unilever will invest $270 million in the project over the long term, including $50 million in capital expenditure. The company described it as its largest research and development capital investment in the US in four decades.

The investment builds on approximately $15 billion that Unilever has invested in its US operations over the past ten years through acquisitions and capital projects.

Richard Slater, Chief R&D Officer, Unilever: "Behind every Unilever product is world-leading science designed to deliver superior performance, combined with design, fragrance and sensory experiences that make our brands stand out. The centre will bring these capabilities together to create products that are developed in the US and built to scale globally. The step change here is integration and speed: science, design and sensorials working as one, with AI accelerating every stage of the cycle."

Centre expected to employ 300 people

Around 300 employees are expected to work at the facility once it reaches full operation in 2029.

The project forms part of Unilever’s broader strategy to strengthen its focus on beauty, personal care and wellbeing, supported by science-led innovation, demand creation and operational execution.

www.unilever.com

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