Malmö / SE. (oat) Sweden’s Oatly Group AB, the world’s original and largest oat drink company, announced plans to open a new research and innovation center at Lund University in Sweden to further explore the potential of oats. The new innovation center will further Oatly’s leadership around oats and enable the Company to accelerate its mission to drive a societal shift towards a plant-based food system for the benefit of people and the planet. The Company expects to add approximately 30 new scientists to its global team based in Lund over the next year, with the potential to add nearly 100 researchers across its research hubs in Europe, the Americas and Asia.
«We’re excited to build on our strong foundation in science, research and innovation as we expand our team at Lund University,» said Sofia Ehlde, Oatly’s Executive Vice President Food Innovation. «For more than 25 years, we have developed great-tasting, oat-based products that have been designed for human nutrition and as a solution for a more sustainable food system. We believe this new research and innovation center will both improve our existing products and lead to new, innovative oat-based foods.»
Oatly’s research and innovation team will further its oat expertise making use of the unique competence and technology gathered in the academic environment at Lund University. The scientists will study oats in greater detail from various perspectives including biochemistry, biophysics, microstructure, nutritional traits and refinement. The innovation team plans to use the knowledge to enhance Oatly’s existing robust oat-based drinks and food products as well as develop new innovation to meet the needs of consumers.
Construction has commenced on Oatly’s Science and Innovation Center in Science Village by Wihlborgs and is expected to be finished in 2023.
