meeting everyday needs of people everywhere Annual ... - Unilever

26 Unilever Annual Review 1998 Business Overview
Research and development expenditure £ million
543
94
585
95
600
96
546
97
556
98
Technology & Innovation
The key priority of our research and development facility is to add
value to our business. It aims to do this by anticipating and meeting
consumer needs, and doing so more successfully than our competitors.
Our research and development teams are based in six state-of-the-art
laboratories, complemented by a network of 71 innovation centres. In
1998, their work paved the way for the successful launch of many new
and improved products. Our innovative ice cream snack, Winner Taco,
uses ingenious – and patented – manufacturing processes. It was
developed through cross-border team-work and supported by
Unilever’s Italian ice cream innovation centre and our United
Kingdom research laboratory. In the United States, our Chicago
innovation centre played an important role in the development of
ThermaSilk, our new hair care range for enhancing heat-dried hair.
Technology and innovation is boosting the quality and cost
effectiveness of Unilever’s manufacturing and supply chain. For
example, improvements to our washing powder manufacturing
processes in Brazil have allowed a 50% cut in capital and raw material
costs. This technology has allowed us to launch a new competitivelypriced
brand called Ala. We are also using technology to better meet
changing consumer needs: in South East Asia and India, for example,
we have developed smaller sizes of our products. This is allowing
consumers to enjoy the same high quality branded products at a price
they can more easily afford.
One of Unilever’s major strengths is its proven ability to turn
international resources to local advantage. To this end, we have rolled
out a new Company-wide research and development management
system called Innovation Process Management. This introduces a
common language for all our consumer goods businesses,
incorporating the same processes, definitions, software and disciplines.
This allows regional managers to complement their local
understanding with cutting edge information and insights from
“Unilever’s global network of research laboratories and
innovation centres works closely with the business to
develop products that meet the needs and aspirations
of our consumers...”
Our new any-time ice cream snack Winner Taco has been successfully
rolled out throughout Western Europe. Patents protect the product’s
ground-breaking manufacturing processes, which include using infra-red
heaters to soften and fold the wafers.