Unilever expands presence in UK with USD 103M fragrance innovation hub
This investment is part of Unilever’s broader £300 million (USD 401 million) commitment to strengthening the UK’s R&D sector.
UK – Unilever is set to invest £80 million(USD 103 million) in enhancing its fragrance research and development capabilities in the UK, unveiling plans for a state-of-the-art fragrance innovation hub in Port Sunlight, England.
This strategic move aims to enhance fragrance development across Unilever’s home care, personal care and beauty & wellbeing brands, including Dove, Persil, Rexona (known as Sure in the UK), and TRESemmé.
The new facility will feature a Fragrance Research & Innovation Lab, a compounding unit for blending and refining scents, and evaluation suites where fragrances will be tested for performance and consumer appeal.
This investment is part of Unilever’s broader £300 million(USD 401 million) commitment to strengthening the UK’s R&D sector, including upgrading its offices, research facilities, and factories over the next two years.
Unilever is integrating advanced digital capabilities, including AI-driven fragrance development, robotic blending, and real-time data analytics, to accelerate innovation and improve efficiency.
In addition to technological advancements, Unilever is set to invest in talent acquisition, recruiting industry-leading perfumers, fragrance evaluators, and ingredient technologists to drive innovation.
The company aims to reinvent fragrance creation by combining science, AI, and robotics, ensuring that its products deliver distinctive, high-quality scents that resonate with consumers.
Richard Slater, Chief R&D Officer at Unilever, stated, “ The investment includes a new state-of-the-art facility in Port Sunlight which further expands our leading-edge R&D capabilities in the UK and drives our ambitious plans to build expertise, partnerships and innovation at scale.”
“Our new fragrance facility and expert perfumers will enable us to bring fragrance insight and innovation to our brands at speed and, working with our partners, to reinvent how fragrances are created for consumer products, leveraging cutting-edge science along with AI and robotics.”
The move has been praised by government officials, including Baroness Poppy Gustafsson CBE, Minister of Investment in the UK government, who highlighted its contribution to the UK’s status as a premier investment destination and its potential to drive economic growth and create skilled jobs.
This strategic plan comes after Unilever recently announced its plans to invest USD 1.5 billion between 2025 and 2028 to expand its beauty and personal care operations in Mexico.
A major highlight of this investment is the construction of a USD 408.5 million manufacturing plant in Salinas Victoria, Nuevo León, which will produce products for key brands including Dove, Rexona, and Sedal.
This new facility is set to serve as a strategic export hub for the North American market, capitalizing on Mexico’s geographic advantage and its role in the US–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA).
This investment signals Unilever’s long-term commitment to advancing fragrance research and innovation, ensuring greater control, speed, and differentiation in scent development.
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