The new product development facility, Givaudan’s first in the Nordics, is located in Malmö, Sweden.
Housing lab space and equipment for product development across Givaudan’s full Taste & Wellbeing portfolio and all product segments, from sweet goods to baked items, dairy, savoury food, snacks and beverages, the facility also boasts a culinary demo kitchen for co-creation.
Bringing these facilities closer to the company’s customer based will help it ‘effectively identify opportunities’ as well as gain better understandings of customer challenges and accelerate NPD, noted the firm.
A strategic location
While the flavours and fragrances company has had commercial offices in Sweden since the 1990s, the opening of the Nordic Experience Centre represents a ‘commitment to customers and partners in the Nordic region’.
“Our new facility in Malmö reflects the strategic importance of the Nordics to Givaudan,” said Doruk Ongan, Regional Commercial Head Europe Taste & Wellbeing. “By expanding our capabilities in Malmö, we’re taking another step forward in our global ambition to shape the future of food and become the co-creation partner of choice for our customers.”
Indeed, the move aligns with the company’s 2025 business strategy, which includes a deepening market covering across high-growth market like the Nordics.
“The selection of Malmö as the location of the new facility is significant for its regional connections; it is located close to the Oresund Bridge connecting Denmark and Sweden and to the public transport hub,” Jonas Lellky, Commercial Director Northern Europe, Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing told FoodNavigator.
“In addition, our new facility is based in The Edge, a sleek modern building with world-class amenities throughout, which is perfect for our new state-of-the-art facility and technology.”
There is also an active business start-up scene and a lot of company headquarters in close proximity to the new facility. “This allows us to serve both local Nordic needs and to bring in our experts from all over the region for support on export-focused innovation,” we were told.
What’s trending in Scandinavia?
So which categories in particular are driving expansion in northern Europe?
“The big trends in the Nordic region are similar to other parts of Europe,” Lellky told this publication.
“We see consumers looking for healthier products that enhance their wellbeing, such as products that are lower in fat, salt and sugar – but that still taste great.”
Sustainability is another key focus, Lellky explained, and the company is observing an increasing number of people wanting to buy from local products and enjoy food that can be produced in a more planet-friendly way.
“As part of both these trends, we’re seeing a shift in the Nordics towards plant-based products – both meat analogues and dairy.
“While the big trends are similar, the local taste preferences are quite typical for the Nordics and it is great that with the opening of the Nordic Experience Centre we can bring our development capability to where our consumers and customers are.”
