Kerry to invest in EMEA R&D facility

Irish ingredients, flavours and consumer foods player Kerry will invest €100 million in a new R&D facility in Ireland to serve customers in EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa).

Kerry, a supplier ingredients and technologies for bakery products such as bread, cakes, biscuits and pastries, said that its Global Technology & Innovation Centre will provide customers with access to its technologies, research, innovations, applications and expertise.

The facility will employ 800 people by 2015, rising to around 900 when fully operational in mid-2016. The Centre will house Kerry’s Ingredients & Flavours EMEA regional management, its Global Business Services department and support functions.

“The establishment of this new global technology and innovation centre is consistent with Kerry's Strategy for Sustainable Growth, providing our customers with access to Kerry’s total technical and innovation capability to optimise product differentiation in the marketplace and provide unrivalled speed to market,” said Stan McCarthy, Kerry Group’s chief executive.

“Working in tandem with the group’s existing technology and innovation facilities, the new centre will focus group-wide capability to drive strategic customer engagement and sustainable growth.”

McCarthy said that the new facility would complement the firm's plans to invest in career development, training and talent management.

Construction will begin in 2013 when the firm has secured full planning permission.