Henkel Opens New R&D Center for Asian Consumer Brands in Shanghai

Henkel invested RMB 100 million to open a new Asian R&D center for its consumer brands in Shanghai, China, to develop products specifically for different Asian markets based on consumer habits and insights.

It is the company's largest center in Asia, with an area of over 2,500 square meters, and the new facility is said to be built with Innovation, Digitalization and Sustainable Development in mind. Six areas have been developed to focus on different functions, including consumer focus, advanced research, product development, packaging design, chemical and physical analysis and product evaluation. The consumer center is designed to resemble home environments and hair salons and is used for consumer research to inform product development.

David Tung, president of Henkel Consumer Brands Asia, said: "As the first Asian R&D center to support product development and ingredient formulation for both business categories, this investment represents a key milestone.Leveraging unique research synergies, the center will shape our product portfolio for higher growth, add significant value to the Asian market and propel Henkel consumer brands to new heights."

The Shanghai R&D center is Henkel's continued investment in the Asia-Pacific region, following the opening of the J-beauty Innovation Center in Tokyo last year. This follows the German conglomerate's acquisition of the professional business of Japanese beauty giant Shiseido in 2022.

Frank Meyer, Senior Vice President of Research and Development for Henkel Consumer Brands, added, "The new R&D center is one of the facilities we are integrating with our global consumer centers and will contribute to a strong global research network spanning Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia Pacific. Through state-of-the-art facilities, we aim to deepen our understanding of changing consumer behavior and reinforce Henkel's commitment to tailoring leading technologies for local and global markets. "