Unilever to build $270 million research center in the U.S. amid Dutch restructuring

Unilever will invest 270 million dollars (around 250 million euros) to build a new innovation center in New Haven, Connecticut, where the company will conduct research on personal care products, fragrances, and packaging.

The facility is scheduled to open in spring 2029 and is expected to employ about 300 workers. The company also said it will use artificial intelligence to develop new products at the center. The investment comes as the company faces uncertainty over potential job losses in the Netherlands following a restructuring and the sale of its food division to McCormick & Company.

The new research and development site will replace Unilever’s existing center in Trumbull, Connecticut, which has been operating since 1972. The company described the project as the “next chapter” in its long collaboration with Connecticut and its scientific community.

In New Haven, Unilever will join a broader ecosystem of research and development activity, including multiple companies and universities that operate in the area.

Over the past decade, Unilever said it has invested nearly 15 billion dollars (around 14.5 billion euros) in the United States through acquisitions and capital projects.

Unilever recently confirmed major changes to its corporate structure in the Netherlands following the sale of a significant portion of its food division to U.S.-based McCormick & Company. The transaction, valued at 44.8 billion dollars (39 billion euros), raises uncertainty over the future of operations in Rotterdam, where Unilever’s food division is formally headquartered and employs about 1,000 people.