Nestle opens R&D center in Dongguan

Swiss company Nestle formally opened a new research and development center in Dongguan of Guangdong province on Tuesday, with an aim to further increase its presence in the Chinese mainland.

"The establishment of Nestle's Dongguan R&D center, which will focus on two product categories - confectionery products and ice cream, can further our understanding of Chinese consumers, ingredients and local cuisine, and provide scientific and technological expertise to the rest of the business in Asia and around the world," said Johannes Baensch, Nestle's Global Head of R&D.

Located in Dongguan's Hsu Fu Chi, the leading confectionery, biscuits and traditional snacks manufacturer in China, the R&D center is the third one that Nestle has opened in the Chinese mainland. The other two are located in Beijing and Shanghai.

"Nestle's fourth R&D center will soon open in Xiamen of Fujian province in the second half of the year," according to John, Cheung, chairman and chief executive officer of Nestle Greater China Region.

"Hsu Fu Chi is one of Nestle's joint venture partners, and the investment is one of Nestle's key initiatives in making Hsu Fu Chi a 100-year-old brand," Cheung said.

Yuan Baocheng, mayor of Dongguan, said he hopes more big-name foreign companies will set up their R&D centers in Dongguan to help the Pearl Rivel Delta city, which has become a major production base in Guangdong, further upgrade its industrial structure in the years ahead.

Norman Hang Hsu, Corporate Affairs Officer and Executive Director of Hsu Fu Chi International Group, said he looks forward to Nestle's Dongguan R&D center, with its professional and sound product development and quality assurance systems, assisting Hsu Fu Chi to achieve continuous breakthroughs, upgrade and expand in the confectionary industry with nutritious, healthy, and refined products, in order to achieve the vision of building Hsu Fu Chi a time-honored brand in the country.