New Global Product Development Hub by Unilever opening at Knowledge Quarter

Elida Beauty, a Global Unilever Business Unit for Personal Care products, has signed a 10-year commitment for a space within Liverpool Science Park (LSP), which is owned and operated by Sciontec Developments Limited (Sciontec).

Elida Beauty is a new Personal Care Business Unit within Unilever, re-founding iconic brands for today’s generation and making them even bigger beauty hits than they were the first time around. 

The 22 beauty and personal care brands in its portfolio include Toni&Guy, V05, TIGI, Impulse, Timotei, and Matey, which are sold primarily in Europe and North America.

The new Global Product Development Hub, which will sit at the heart of the Knowledge Quarter Liverpool (KQ Liverpool) innovation district, will provide a base for all Elida Beauty expert teams across R&D, marketing, sales and supply chain.

Credit: Ben Blackall

Andrew Wyrko, Chief R&D Officer, at Elida Beauty, said:

“We are really proud to be maintaining our presence in the Liverpool City Region with our Global Product Development Hub.

“Through our connections with Liverpool Science Park and the universities, we will be able to identify and bring to life great new innovations – working in partnership with some of the brightest minds in the country.

“The location puts us at the heart of a vibrant and diverse area which truly reflects the people that use our brands, allowing us to quickly co-develop superior products that solve real consumer needs and provide great value for money.”

Collaboration and flexibility will be at the heart of the space’s design, envisioned as a nucleus for innovation.

Colin Sinclair, CEO at Sciontec and Knowledge Quarter Liverpool, said:

“Elida Beauty is another fantastic addition to the rapidly growing KQ Liverpool innovation ecosystem, powering research and creating highly skilled jobs for the people of Liverpool. Proving that investing in health, wellbeing, science and technology is vital to growing the UK economy,”

Remi Smith, Commercial Manager at Sciontec, said:

“We are delighted that Elida Beauty has chosen to base its new Product Development Hub at Liverpool Science Park.

“Together, we will be transforming a 5,535 sq ft floor plate on the first floor of iC1 into one fantastic facility, which will offer workspace, salon space and R&D amenities, from which they can breathe new life into iconic brands, break boundaries and revolutionise the personal care market.”

Credit: Liverpool Science Park

Professor Mark Power, Chair of Sciontec, said:

“The addition of Elida Beauty within Liverpool Science Park will further drive innovation and economic growth at both a regional and national level.

“Its Global Product Development Hub will provide new opportunities for the leading researchers and experts of the future across science and technology, and it’s rewarding to know that Sciontec was the standout choice for this innovative work to take place.”

Andrew Byrne, Director at CBRE, added:

“Elida Beauty identified Liverpool city centre as the location for its new R&D facility and Sciontec’s recent investment and subsequent enhancements made within LSP were key to the decision-making process to locate there.

“Elida Beauty’s new space will provide a great base to develop its offer and I look forward to seeing its growth at LSP in the future.”

Liverpool City Region is already home to Unilever’s global R&D site for Home Care and Personal Care at Port Sunlight, Wirral, and The Materials Innovation Factory, a facility dedicated to the research and development of advanced materials co-founded by the University of Liverpool and Unilever.

Find out more about Liverpool Science Park here and the Knowledge Quarter here.