Nestle and General Mills build cereal innovation centre

The Nestle and General Mills owned business is building the centre in Orbe, Switzerland, where Nestle already has a significant research base. Only two years ago Nestle opened an R&D beverage facility in the town.

Construction has already begun on the new cereal innovation centre and CPW expects it to be completed by the middle of 2010.

Although the building work is nearly at the half way stage, the project was announced today at a press conference led by CPW head Christi Strauss, Nestle and General Mills executives, and senior local politicians.

Innovation focus​

CPW said the innovation centre will work on breakfast cereals that provide consumer benefits, like improved nutritional content, as well as freshness, taste and texture.

The company says the centre will accelerate its innovation work on its strategic focus area of nutrition, health, and wellness.

Sustainability ​

Plans for the innovation centre also relate to the building itself. CPW said sustainability is at the heart of the project.

Once completed, the CPW Innovation Centre will meet the requirements for LEED certification, a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction set by the US Green Building Council (USGBC).

CPW is the second largest cereal producer in the world with sales of CHF 2.8bn in 2008 and a workforce of 4,000 people. Its head office is situated in Lausanne / Malley, Switzerland.