Barry Callebaut’s Global Innovation Center - summary
- Barry Callebaut opens a new Global Innovation Center integrating AI capabilities
- Singapore location combines AI excellence with cacao coatings research expertise
- Facility includes Chocolate Academy translating consumer trends into product innovation
- Pilot lab enables rapid prototyping supporting faster development and market responsiveness
- Company says AI will drive predictive flavours and personalised chocolate experiences
Barry Callebaut has announced the opening of the Callebaut Global Innovation Center (GIC) in Singapore.
Located within Singapore Science Park, it brings together Barry Callebaut’s Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence with its Cacao Coatings Center of Excellence.
The site also houses the Callebaut Chocolate Academy and a regional Research and Development facility.
In addition to this, Barry Callebaut’s pilot lab over in Senoko helps to strengthen capabilities, enabling rapid prototyping, small‑batch production, and process testing.
“Chocolate and cocoa have been traded out of Singapore for a long time,” says Lee Pak Sing, assistant managing director for trade and connectivity at Enterprise Singapore. We are building on this foundation to leverage on R&D, innovation and AI to develop new products and experiences."
“The establishment of our Global Innovation Center in Singapore represents a significant milestone in Barry Callebaut’s growth journey,” adds Vamsi Mohan Thati, president of AMEA, Barry Callebaut. “Singapore’s world-class infrastructure, availability of talent pool and proximity to dynamic markets in the region make it the ideal location to drive chocolate innovation at scale.”
The world’s biggest chocolate maker was also quick to highlight the importance of AI in the industry’s future, saying, “AI is redefining how we imagine, design, and deliver chocolate and cocoa experiences. By embedding AI into our innovation ecosystem, we are unlocking new possibilities from predictive flavour development to personalised customer solutions.”
The future of chocolate
As the Global Innovation Center comes online, its impact is likely to extend far beyond Singapore. The convergence of AI, ingredient science and rapid‑prototyping capabilities signals a shift towards a more agile, insight‑driven era for chocolate – one in which flavour trends can be anticipated rather than followed, and products can be tailored with unprecedented precision to tastes and customer needs.
For manufacturers, the implications are significant. AI‑enabled formulation could shorten development cycles from months to weeks, while data‑driven sensory prediction may reduce reliance on traditional trial‑and‑error methods. At the same time, compound coatings and alternative cacao systems are expected to play a growing role in meeting cost, sustainability and functionality demands across categories from bakery to snacking.
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