Mondelēz International inaugurated its newest global technical centre at Thane in India’s Maharashtra state.
The India technical centre has been set up with an investment of $15 million (£11.53m) and will support new products and technologies for the company’s global brands in chocolate and beverages.
The technical centre will also focus on improving consumer science, packaging and productivity. This is part of the company’s strategy to invest $65m in developing a global network of state-of-the-art technical hubs strategically positioned around the world, supporting a growth-oriented innovation agenda.
“Our mission at Mondelez International is simple to offer consumers the right snack, for the right moment, made the right way. And our global Technical Center network is crucial to support this,” said Maurizio Brusadelli, EVP and president AMEA (Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa).
“Our AMEA region hosts three global technical centres, the other two being in China and Singapore, demonstrating that our dynamic markets are at the heart of the company’s growth strategy. Our investment in the Thane Technical Center further emphasises the importance of India to our global business”, he added.
“With these Technical Centres, we’re focusing our investment in research, equipment and capabilities, driving innovation to accelerate our growth,” said Rob Hargrove, executive vice president, Research, Development and Quality.
“Our RDQ hubs will improve speed, efficiency and effectiveness, while increased scale will enable us to address evolving consumer needs more quickly. We are delighted that one of our global technical centres is based in India, which has one of the best technical and scientific capabilities in the world”, he pointed out.
Spread across an area of 12,000 square meters, the Thane Technical Center will be equipped with multiple technical capabilities, such as a pilot plant, a packaging creative studio and a range of laboratories for technical research and development.
The team of around 150 scientists, developers, engineers, analytical chemists and other specialists will closely collaborate on innovations across the globe. The site is also water neutral and a zero-discharge facility with a large part of the energy coming from solar panels.
The India hub joins nine other Mondelēz International Technical Centers that are already in operation around the world, including East Hanover, New Jersey, in the United States, Curitiba in Brazil, Bournville and Reading, both in the UK, Wroclaw in Poland, Singapore and Suzhou in China, Saclay in France, and Munich in Germany.
