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 shall be developed at a much faster pace. Key objectives of the new centre 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 Flavour 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 flavour house’s new creative centre, developed with Unilever, comprises a flavour creation lab, an application kitchen and collaboration rooms that cover 120 m2.

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.