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Research and DevelopmentThibaut EissautierGroup PurchasingDirector andHead of Group R&DExploiting our research and development capabilitiesMcBride’s research and development (R&D) organisation comprising200 scientists based in eight research centres in Europe and Asia,has been brought together this year under one Group R&Dfunctional organisation. This will enable us to fully leverage ourscale, to reapply the best ideas wherever they come from and tostrengthen further our innovation capability. In addition, withPurchasing and R&D now working more closely under one singleleadership, we further expect significant benefits for the Groupin terms of accessing our suppliers’ R&D capability and valueengineering projects.Our work ranges from innovating unique ground-breaking patentprotected propositions, to adapting formulations and propositionsto meet local market and consumer needs. We have the ability todevelop products ranging all the way from great value propositionsto formulations with the highest performance which rival the bestproducts in the marketplace, across a broad range of categories.Many of our innovations are protected by patents or designregistrations. In the automatic dishwashing category, a highlytechnical and capital-intensive sector, our core technologiesare all patent-protected.In 2010, we won the Innovation and Design category in the UKManufacturer of the Year awards for our new laundry washing gels.The panel judges were impressed with our formulation capability,our speed to market and our ability to develop and launch thisinnovative product in several countries at the same time.A further example of how we enable our retail customers toprovide value-added Private Label innovation to consumersis the super-concentrated hydrosoluble unit-dose pouches whichwe recently developed, enabling high-performance washing atcold temperatures.We collaborate via open technology with external providersto deliver new solutions with unique molecule combinationsto address consumer needs. The Byotrol TM technology we areusing in our antibacterial surface cleaners delivers a long-lastingantibacterial effect to food surfaces to help protect the consumerand their home.Many members of our team of scientists frequently participatein and contribute to industry groups addressing technical challengesfacing the industry as a whole, such as environmental concerns,or developing new standards for quality or product performance.In 2010, we won the Innovation and Design categoryin the UK Manufacturer of the Year awards for ournew laundry washing gels. The panel judges wereimpressed with our formulation capability, ourspeed to market and our ability to develop andlaunch this innovative product in several countriesat the same time.Each of our laboratories is equipped with technology for us toevaluate the performance of and stress-test all our products,thereby ensuring we deliver outstanding quality to our customersevery time.Manufacturing and supplying Private Label products to ourmultinational customers, who operate across a number of markets,means that it is vital that our performance-testing reflectsconsumers’ use. For example, manual dishwashing is conducteddifferently in Poland and the UK and our testing has to reflect this.That is why, over the past year, we have invested in the facilities andstaff to undertake this work, in Centres of Excellence such as Foetzfor dishwashing technology. Other Centres of Excellence exist forlaundry liquids, Skincare and the Air care categories. We plan toincrease the amount of consumer-use research and to subject ourdevelopments, throughout the whole process, to more and moreconsumer testing to ensure that our customers and their endconsumers get products that perform to the standards they request.McBride has also been successful in developing and sellingproducts awarded with the Nordic Swan for the moreenvironmentally conscious consumers of the Nordic countries.As the largest Private Label player in our industry, McBride hascontributed to the AISE working group in charge of proposingtest methods and criteria for the evaluation of laundry productsperformance, in association with the Director General in chargeof eco-labelling within the European Union.Innovation is not just about formulating new products; it alsoencompasses the design and manufacture of new and innovativepackaging concepts. Our recent development of a bi-colour injectedcap used in Personal Care and suitable for use with either HDPEor PET bottles, enables the same cap to be used on the same bottleshape produced from different materials and different sizes.This significantly reduced manufacturing complexity.During the year we have launched several products whichhave been awarded the European eco-labelling flower,including a shower gel and a liquid handwash. As a result,McBride was the first Private Label manufacturer withEcolabel approval for Personal Care products.Criteria for achieving Eco label statusThe criteria are agreed at European level, following wideconsultation with experts, and the label itself is onlyawarded after verification that the product meets thesehigh environmental and performance standards. Ecolabelcriteria are not based on one single factor, but on studieswhich analyse the impact of the product or service on theenvironment throughout its life-cycle, starting from rawmaterial extraction in the pre-production stage, throughto production, distribution and disposal.Source: www.ecolabel.euMcBride is aware of its responsibilities for deliveringa more sustainable future and protecting the environment.We strive continuously to develop lighter-weight packagingfor both environmental and cost reasons and have been at theforefront of the development of Private Label aerosols usingnitrogen as the main propellant which is safer and moreenvironmentally friendly.McBride has established a Group packaging developmentorganisation to leverage the synergies and expertise acrossits local packaging teams to deliver greater speed to market,innovation and cost optimisation.The new organisation of our R&D team is designed to ensurethat McBride remains the leader in Private Label Householdand Personal Care products for many years to come.McBride was thefirst Private Labelmanufacturer to winEcolabel approval forPersonal Care products.Overview Business review Governance Financials Shareholder information38 McBride plc Annual Report and Accounts 2011 McBride plc Annual Report and Accounts 2011 39