On May 19, 2025, Unilever announced a £80 million investment to develop a state-of-the-art fragrance facility in Port Sunlight, United Kingdom, and develop its in-house fragrance capabilities in the UK.
The proposed facility will include a fragrance research and innovation lab, a compounding facility and evaluation suites for product testing. Further, the site will have end-to-end digital capabilities, including robotics to blend fragrance oils and AI tools to aid fragrance development.
“We are delighted to announce this significant investment to build a world-class fragrance house within Unilever,” said chief R&D officer Richard Slater. “Our new fragrance facility and expert perfumers will enable us to bring fragrance insight and innovation to our brands at speed and, working with our partners, to reinvent how fragrances are created for consumer products, leveraging cutting-edge science along with AI and robotics.”
In addition to the new facility, Unilever’s investment includes talent recruitment. According to the company’s press release, the company plans to hire industry-leading perfumers with cross-category expertise.
Minister for Investment Baroness Poppy Gustafsson CBE added, “The UK is a top investment destination and Unilever’s major plan is the latest vote of confidence in our economy, which will boost the UK’s thriving R&D sector, supporting our Plan for Change. With digital and technologies being identified as a key growth sector in our upcoming industrial strategy, we’re not only helping to attract and secure investment, but delivering long-term growth that supports skilled jobs and raises living standards across the UK."
