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An artist’s rendering of the planned new research and innovation center. Photo provided courtesy of L’Oréal USA
NEW YORK — L’Oréal USA onTuesday announced that it will be opening a new, state-of-the-art Research & Innovation (R&I) Center in Clark, N.J., replacing its existing facilities that it has occupied in the area for more than six decades. The $140 million development project represents the most significant investment in an R&I facility in the company’s history.
According to the company, the new R&I Center will strengthen its capacity to advance the scientific and technological research behind the products and services aimed at meeting the diverse beauty expectations of consumers in the U.S. and worldwide. The R&I Center will focus on beauty innovations across the spectrum of hair, skin and makeup categories while pioneering research through strategic scientific fields such as Green Sciences and Beauty Tech.
“This historic investment in our new Research & Innovation Center is an important milestone for L’Oréal USA as we continue to put science at the heart of all that we do to serve our American consumers with more innovative, inclusive, and sustainable beauty products,” says David Greenberg, president and CEO of L’Oréal USA. “New Jersey has served as our scientific hub here in the U.S. for over six decades, and we are excited to expand our footprint in the state and bring all our scientific teams together in a beautiful and modern new research facility.”
The nearly 250,000-square-foot R&I Center will bring together more than 550 employees across all areas of the company’s North America Research & Innovation Division, from Advanced Research to Evaluation and Product Development, under one roof. This ambitious real-estate project advances L’Oréal’s commitment to offering each consumer the best innovations in terms of quality, efficacy, and safety while respecting the planet.
Workspaces and modular labs will be designed to strengthen internal partnerships, creating a comprehensive ecosystem that allows for greater interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. The site will also house the capacity to scale formulations through a dedicated team, which will accelerate the creation and development of new products. The R&I Center will also be the home for external partnerships and scientific collaborations under L’Oréal’s Open Innovation strategy.
“Our new campus will serve as the Research & Innovation epicenter for our North America scientific teams across product innovation, development, and testing,” explains Sanford Browne, North America President of Research and Innovation at L’Oréal. “The U.S. is a unique market, and our strong presence in this highly collaborative environment will empower us to provide an even higher standard of quality, efficacy, and safety for our consumers. With cutting-edge science and technology, advanced digital tools and data, and a focus on green chemistry, we will continue to invent the future of beauty.”
Reinforcing the company’s L’Oréal for the Future sustainability commitment, the new R&I Center will be designed to the highest sustainability standards by reducing energy use, resource consumption, and waste production while developing multi-purpose indoor and outdoor green space to support the area’s ecology and biodiversity.
The new R&I Center is currently under construction and is expected to be fully operational in 2024.
