Unilever has announced plans to invest $270 million (€249m) in a new Global Innovation Centre in New Haven, Connecticut, due to open by spring 2029, serving as the company's primary R&D hub for its personal care, beauty and wellbeing businesses in the US and globally.
The digital-first, AI-powered facility will bring together all R&D capabilities under one roof, including formulation, fragrance creation, packaging design and consumer insights.
Quantum computing capabilities will also be incorporated, with Unilever positioning the centre as a platform for advanced materials discovery. Total combined public and private investment in the project is expected to exceed $300 million (€277m).
Located in New Haven's biosciences cluster, the centre will give Unilever's approximately 300-strong team access to universities, research institutions and technology partners, with a particular focus on skin biology, the microbiome and neuroscience applications in product development.
Specific capabilities will include a global centre for skin care and cleansing, a polycultural skin and hair centre of excellence, a human performance lab, a dedicated fragrance house and a packaging innovation studio.
The centre succeeds Unilever's existing R&D facility in Trumbull, Connecticut, which has operated since 1972, and forms part of the company's broader network of global innovation hubs. It adds to nearly $15 billion (€13.8bn) invested in Unilever's US business over the past decade.
Unilever invests $270m in Connecticut Global Innovation Centre
