HOBOKEN, N.J. — Unilever announced plans for a $270 million innovation center in New Haven, Conn., that will open in early 2029 and serve as a leading hub for the company’s research and development for its personal care, beauty and wellbeing business.
The company said the center will feature advanced R&D capabilities to connect science, technology and culture across product categories.
The center further propels Unilever’s growth strategy in the U.S. market, raising the bar for research and development in the consumer goods industry and powering the company’s portfolio of innovative and desirable brands, according to a press release announcing the project.
“Centrally located in one of the world’s fastest-growing biosciences innovation clusters, the digital-first and AI-powered center will deliver deeper insights to fuel Unilever’s ambition of reshaping product categories,” according to the statement.
The facility also will advance how Unilever’s teams of scientists and experts push the boundaries of the fundamental differentiators that make the company’s brands distinct and products desirable, Unilever said.
The innovation center advances Unilever's strategy to become a sharper, focused personal care, beauty and wellbeing company built upon shared capabilities across science-led innovation, demand creation and operational execution, the company said.
Approximately 300 employees will work at the center, which will succeed Unilever's existing R&D facility in nearby Trumbull, Conn., which has operated since 1972.
“New Haven gets us to the future faster,” said Herrish Patel, president of Unilever USA and CEO of personal care North America. “We will build on our deep heritage of innovation to develop the next generation of brands and products that people love. As part of Unilever’s global network of innovation hubs, the center will connect closely with our other leading locations worldwide, sharing technology, insights, and breakthrough ideas to accelerate innovation at scale. As the U.S. becomes a center of gravity for Unilever, we’re harnessing the best of American innovation to match our growth ambition here in the U.S. and around the world.”
