Shiseido builds new innovation hub in Japan

REFLECTING its continued pursuit of innovative technologies and new value, Shiseido is setting up a new research facility in Japan. The hub, which is tentatively called Global Innovation Center, will be constructed in the Yokohama Minato Mirai 21 District. This urban-type open lab will start operating by end-2018.

 

 

The company’s Vision 2020 medium-to-long term plan, which was announced last December, reflects its aim to respond to the needs and expectations of active consumers while undertaking various management reforms, including increased marketing and R&D investments, to pursue sales growth and cost optimization. 

 

Shiseido is looking at boosting brands that drive growth by leveraging highly capable personnel and organizations. Its efforts will be directed at combining innovative product development using cutting-edge basic technologies and marketing that reaches the “customer.”

 

Shiseido’s R&D initiatives will be geared at establishing and expanding a more regionally-oriented research framework to boost product development and marketing capabilities by country and region. This will be done through the help of research centers already established in Japan, China, Southeast Asia (Thailand), Europe (France), and the United States. The company will also raise the number of its global researchers from 1,000 to 1,500 by 2020.

 

In addition to establishing the new Global Innovation Center, the company will strengthen basic and generic research and research in new fields that serve as foundation for new product development. It will raise the ratio of R&D expenses to net sales in 2020 from the current 1.8% to 2.5%.