Nestle to Extend R&D Center in Ireland

Nestle announces it will invest over €25 million in a significant expansion of its Research and Development Center in Askeaton, Ireland.

The enhanced facility will be located at Nestle's existing plant in Askeaton, which produces a range of high quality premium powdered milk-based products for infants, young children and mothers for export to world markets.

The R&D Center will focus on global product innovation for Nestle’s Wyeth Nutrition infant and maternal nutrition business and is anticipated to open in late 2017.

The extended R&D Center, part of Nestle's global R&D network of close to 5,000 people, will concentrate on developing science based products for mothers and infants.  It will incorporate state of the art laboratory facilities as well as a full pilot-scale manufacturing line to facilitate development and testing of new products from initial concept through to finished product development.

The project investment is being supported by Enterprise Ireland.

"This is a strategically important investment for Ireland and is a huge vote of confidence in the future of the Irish dairy industry and the research connectedness in Ireland," said Michael Cantwell, Director of the Food Division, Enterprise Ireland. "Nestle’s decision to extend its R&D centre at its manufacturing plant at the Askeaton site is of critical strategic importance and underpins Nestle’s commitment to its Irish based operations.”