Beiersdorf opens €38m skin research centre

The company has invested €38 million in the new 16,000 square metre complex, in which around 650 scientists from all over the world will now be working on basic dermatological research and product development.

In his opening speech, Dr. Rolf Kunisch, Beiersdorf​ CEO, emphasised the company's ties with Hamburg, where the group's headquarters, global marketing management and research and development facilities are all located.

"The new Skin Research Centre underlines our innovative power,"​ said Kunisch. "A global company can only be successful if it has state-of-the-art research & development, and if it successfully exploits their results as quickly as possible throughout the world. This is what Beiersdorf does, and this research centre will make another major contribution."​

The Beiersdorf company has more than 120 years of product innovation behind it, developing leading brands such as the Nivea range, Atrix and Florena. The company's product development entails three phases: firstly a basic technology platform is created, then selected combinations of raw materials are analysed and finally the finished product is produced using single technology modules.

Recently the company reported first half sales ending in June up 4.8 per cent to €2.36 billion, compared to the first six months in 2003. The investment in the new research and development centre is thought to have impacted after tax earnings though, which fell from €165 million in the six months up to June 2003, to €160 million for the same period this year.