The inauguration of the new center in Santiago, Chile, was attended by Gabriel Boric, the President of Chile as well as other local authorities and representatives of the innovation ecosystem.
Center innovates for and with consumers in the region, while leveraging the company’s global science and technology capabilities. The proximity to consumers as well as Nestlé’s commercial teams and production facilities in Latin America will enable the development of tasty, nutritious, affordable, and sustainable products that are highly relevant to local consumers. The center will also strengthen the company’s collaborations with universities, start-ups, and entrepreneurs across Latin America.
The inauguration of the new center in Santiago, Chile, was attended by Gabriel Boric, the President of Chile as well as other local authorities and representatives of the innovation ecosystem.
Speaking at the official inauguration, Laurent Freixe, Nestlé CEO of Zone Latin America said “The opening of this world-class Research and Development center in Santiago is a strong signal of Nestlé’s commitment to Latin America after more than 100 years of presence in the region. Nestlé continues to invest and expand its footprint, now in the area of science and technology, to bring innovative food and beverage solutions adapted to the lifestyle and needs of Latin American families.”
Nestlé puts innovation at the core of its long-standing presence in Latin America. Examples of recent innovations in the region include the launch of the next-generation of coffee systems with paper-based home compostable capsules for Nescafé Dolce Gusto Neo in Brazil. Brazil is the first market globally where Nestlé produces and markets this innovation.
Each year, Nestlé invests about CHF 1.7 billion in its global Research and Development network which consists of 23 locations around the world. This new R&D center builds on Nestlé’s longstanding presence in Chile, which already includes a dedicated R&D team for biscuits in Santiago, Chile. By strengthening its innovation capabilities in Latin America with a new and larger scope, Nestlé can turn great ideas and cutting-edge technologies into locally relevant innovations faster, and in a more agile way.
Aline Mór, Head of the new R&D Center said: “Our location in Santiago, puts us at the heart of a vibrant innovation ecosystem in Latin America which enables us to work even more closely with local start-ups, academia and suppliers. We are also surrounded by state-of-the-art production facilities across product categories which allows us to test new products quickly. Additionally, our location is in the same building as the Nestlé Chile headquarters, which creates various new synergies with our local teams.”
