The multinational consumer goods company says that the $270-million investment reflects its belief in science-led growth and the increasingly central role of the United States in driving innovation across its business.
“This new center is where we’ll innovate at the intersection of science, technology and culture,” Herrish Patel, president of Unilever USA and CEO of Personal Care North America, shared in a release. “As the US becomes a center of gravity for Unilever, we’re harnessing the best of American innovation to match our growth ambition here in the US and around the world.”
The long-term investment includes $50 million in capital expenditure—the company’s largest in the United States in 40 years—and builds on $15 billion invested in its U.S. business over the past decade, across both acquisitions and capital projects.
Focus on pure-play growth categories
The move supports Unilever’s strategy to become a sharper, focused beauty, personal care and well-being company. In March, it announced that it would would be moving its package food business under the McCormick umbrella as part of a $44.8 billion deal expected to officially close by mid-2027.
Together, Unilever’s beauty, personal care and well-being represent 51% of its business. The company has stated a medium-to-long term ambition to increase this share to two-thirds, driven by the belief that these categories offer structurally stronger growth prospects and greater opportunities for premiumization.
Leading brands in the portfolio include Axe, Degree, Dove, Vaseline and its Wellbeing Collective Brands: Liquid I.V, Nutrafol, Olly, SmartyPants, Onnit, Welly, Equilibra, as wells as its latest big-splash acquisition, greens supplement brand Grüns.
“By increasing the pace of scientific breakthroughs, it will enable us to bring the next generation of premium, market-making products to consumers faster, helping drive strong and consistent volume growth both in the US and globally,” the company shared in a statement.
Step change in the center of gravity
The global R&D hub will be established in the heart of New Haven’s biosciences ecosystem, bringing together the whole innovation process under one roof and as part of a digital-first, AI-enabled model that spans formulation and fragrance creation to packaging design and consumer insights.
By tapping into the New Haven ecosystem network of universities and companies, Unilever aims to deepen its expertise in skin biology, the microbiome and skin–brain axis. The company also plans to expand its use of neuroscience to develop products and packaging that better connect sensory attributes like texture, fragrance and bioactive ingredients with emotional, behavioral and wellness outcomes.
“Behind every Unilever product is world-leading science designed to deliver superior performance, combined with design, fragrance and sensory experiences that make our brands stand out,” said Richard Slater, chief R&D officer at Unilever.
“The center will bring these capabilities together to create products that are developed in the US and built to scale globally. The step change here is integration and speed: science, design and sensorials working as one, with AI accelerating every stage of the cycle.”
For well-being, plans for the new facility include an advanced design labs with purpose-built powder and gummy formulation capabilities and an integrated pilot plant, alongside a human performance lab to integrate clinical expertise and enable on-site ingestible testing.
