Deerfield / IL. (mdlz) Mondelez International announced a new investment in its Global Technical Center in Wroclaw, Poland. Only 1.5 years after the center opening, the company invested a further USD 5 million, in addition to the initial USD 17 million investment, to expand the research and development activities beyond Chocolate and Bakery and serve Gum and Candy innovation. This state-of-the-art facility will now serve as a R+D Hub for a wide range of the company’s iconic global and local brands under one roof, in Biscuits as well as Chocolate and now also in Gum and Candy, offering a fantastic scope of creativity. This expansion is part of the company’s previously announced USD 65 million investment in large RDQ hubs, strategically positioned around the globe. These centers enable Mondelēz International to better recruit, retain and develop talent across a range of science and technical disciplines while accelerating the company’s growth and innovation.
«The Wroclaw Technical Center is unique not only for its diverse and talented scientists and engineers but also for its fluency across Chocolate, Biscuits and Gum and Candy technologies. With this new investment, we will be able to surprise and delight our consumers and shoppers with exciting new combinations of technologies, formats, fillings and much more,» said Kevin Powell, Vice President RDQ Biscuits and Gum + Candy.
«Our mission at Mondelēz International is simple – to offer consumers the right snack, for the right moment, made the right way and our global Technical Center network is crucial to support this,» said Rob Hargrove, Executive Vice President Research, Development + Quality. «Poland is one of our most important markets in Central Europe, with an impressive manufacturing network, and Wroclaw is a modern city that’s open to investments. Embedding one of our largest Technical Centers here clearly signals the importance of Poland and Europe within our global R+D network. It is also home to leading technical universities and top-notch specialists. Now, with the exciting extension to Gum and Candy, we are creating approximately 50 new jobs here».
In total, the Wroclaw Center is home to over 200 experts – scientists, engineers and other specialists from around the world of 28 different nationalities. The site is equipped with a large pilot plant for Chocolate and Biscuits, a brand new dedicated pilot plant for Gum and Candy, analytical and sensory labs – in total a creative space of 12,500 square metres for new ideas and experimentation. The Wroclaw center will closely collaborate on innovations with more than 40 sites in our manufacturing network across Europe.
In addition to Wroclaw, Mondelēz International has ten other Technical Centers already in operation around the world, including East Hanover, New Jersey, in the United States; Curitiba in Brazil; Bournville and Reading, both in the UK; Thane in India; Singapore and Suzhou in China; Saclay in France; and Munich in Germany.
