UAE – Swiss flavour and fragrance company Firmenich has opened a new regional hub at the Dubai Science Park in an effort to strengthen its presence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
The regional hub houses a Creation & Development Center and a state-of-the-art research and science facility built on Firmenich’s Lab 4.0 vision, powered by artificial intelligence.
Using cutting-edge technologies, the two facilities will service customers in more than 60 countries across the Middle East and Africa region, Firmenich said.
The facility which joins a network of such facilities in Europe as well as in India and China also includes a fully automated warehouse that can stock up to 40,000 products.
Firmenich’s advanced creation and sampling laboratory will allow the company to deliver a variety of high-quality food and beverage flavours designed for consumers in the region.
It will also help in accelerating innovation and global expansion with enhanced access to key markets and evolving trends, while reducing the time to market for new products.
“The UAE and Middle East markets represent an opportunity to take the business to a new level,” said Gilbert Ghostine, global CEO of Firmenich.
“The Dubai centre has the latest in A.I. and robotics technology to help clients speed up their new introductions to the market.”
Ghostine explained that scientific innovation, as well as a track record of responsible business, has guided Firmenich’s path for more than 125 years.
“Science and innovation are the engine of our growth; we invest approximately 10 per cent of our annual turnover in research – that is why we have over 4,000 active patents,” Ghostine said.
“we are harnessing our innovation leadership in key areas, from sustainable solutions for nutrition, health and hygiene, to climate change and biodiversity.”
Gilbert Ghostine noted that the new facility will be a key element in the company’s global efforts to respond to important global consumer trends.
According to Ghostine, there has been a shift in the last few years driven by what we call the ‘conscious consumer’. “They want better, healthier foods that are sustainable and traceable.”
Firmenich studies found that the number one change people wanted to make in their food & beverage choices was to reduce their sugar intake.
“However, one of the biggest trends – or revolution, really – that began before the pandemic and which has accelerated since has been towards plant based proteins in everything from meat and seafood to dairy,” Ghostine added.
Leveraging its Firmenich Lab 4.0, the company plans to serve this need by developing fragrances and flavors of tomorrow, at unparalleled speed.
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