FrieslandCampina Ingredients expands R&D footprint with new application centre in Singapore
The centre supports the creation of functional foods, including yoghurts, bars, supplements, and beverages.
SINGAPORE – FrieslandCampina Ingredients, a global leader in proteins and prebiotics, has officially opened a new application centre in Singapore, marking a 30% increase in its research and development space in the city-state.
Supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), the new facility strengthens the company’s presence in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region and underscores Singapore’s importance as its regional headquarters.
The expanded centre is designed as a strategic gateway to the APAC markets, including Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia.
By enhancing its application and technical expertise on the ground, FrieslandCampina Ingredients aims to deliver tailored ingredient solutions faster, helping brands meet the diverse nutritional needs of the region.
The facility complements the company’s other Singapore-based business groups, including FrieslandCampina Professional and FrieslandCampina Asia, further reinforcing a long-term commitment to the market.
“The opening of our new application centre in Singapore marks a pivotal time for our business, demonstrating our commitment to the APAC market and the strategic importance we place on the region,” said Tjalling Bekker, Regional Director APAC, FrieslandCampina Ingredients.
“Consumers here are prioritising daily health, emotional wellness and beauty-from-within. Our new centre will help our customers succeed in this fast-moving and growing market by accelerating application development and enabling closer collaboration,” Bekker added.
Equipped with advanced laboratories, the centre supports the creation of functional foods, including yoghurts, bars, supplements, and beverages.
Specialist expertise in UHT processing, analytical testing, sensory science, and packaging will enable faster product development and market launches.
While earlier activities in Singapore focused mainly on infant and medical nutrition, the new facility adds capabilities in high-demand segments such as performance and active nutrition, as well as children’s health.
APAC’s rising demand for nutritional solutions provides fertile ground for growth: four in five consumers in the region now actively take supplements.
This creates significant opportunities for FrieslandCampina Ingredients to co-develop innovative applications with partners and address emerging lifestyle and wellness trends.
Singapore has served as FrieslandCampina’s APAC headquarters since 2011 and remains its only development centre outside the Netherlands.
The new investment not only expands its innovation ecosystem but also creates opportunities for job growth, local skills development, and industry collaboration.
The company has launched a long-term internship programme with local universities, already hosting three students, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Singapore’s Health Promotion Board to support the “Eat, Drink, Shop Healthy” initiative.
Previous collaborations have included the Nurture Kids pilot with ActiveSG, which aimed to encourage healthier lifestyles among children.
Melissa Guan, Vice President & Head of Consumer at the EDB, welcomed the investment, stating that FrieslandCampina Ingredients’ new application centre is a valuable addition to the vibrant food and nutrition ecosystem.
“It will accelerate innovation through co-development efforts with customers to support health and well-being outcomes across all life stages,” she said.
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