Heinken invests to develop and improve products and processes
Heineken is investing €45 million to establish a new global research and development (R&D) centre in the Netherlands.
Heineken has announced the construction of the new Dr. H.P. Heineken Centre, a state-of-the-art research & development (R&D) centre in Zoeterwoude.
The R&D Center will focus on improving existing products and processes as well as developing new products. Opening in mid-2025, Heineken said the new global R&D Centre will play a crucial role in its innovation and growth strategy.
The Dr. H.P. Heineken Centre, covering an area of 8,800 m², will employ staff from 12 countries to work on innovation within global brands such as Heineken, Desperados and Amstel. This new facility includes offices, laboratories, a model service centre and sensory research and packaging development departments. It will play a leading role within Heineken’s global R&D network, which includes hubs in Mexico, South Africa and Southeast Asia.
Dolf van den Brink, chairman of the executive board/CEO said that since Heineken’s founding, innovation and technology have been the foundation of our success, ranging from A-yeast, which has been providing the taste of Heineken since the 19th century, to the alcohol-free beer revolution led by Heineken 0.0.
“As the beating heart within our global R&D network, this centre opens new possibilities to optimise flavours and processes and to bring innovative products to market,” van den Brink added. “This is a crucial milestone in realising our Brew a Better World 2030 strategy, through which Heineken raises the bar and enables faster progress towards a net zero, and a fairer, healthier world. By choosing Zoeterwoude as location for the Dr. H.P. Heineken Centre, Heineken underscores its commitment to the Netherlands and contributes to maintaining the Netherlands as a leader in food technology.”
The location of the R&D Center in Zoeterwoude, next to the largest brewery in Europe and near the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), creates the ideal environment for fostering both global and local innovation. Previous successes developed in Zoeterwoude include Heineken 0.0, the Draught Keg, and the horizontal fermentation system that creates Heineken’s distinctive flavour. Zoeterwoude is also where Heineken is already working on sustainability initiatives, such as installing the sector’s first large-scale e-boiler.
The collaboration with the TU Delft, where the brewery has established a dedicated Heineken laboratory and invests in biotechnological research, will also be further strengthen in the new facility, providing opportunities for Master’s and PhD students to contribute to projects.
Jack Pronk, professor and head of the Biotechnology Department at Delft University of Technology said the new Dr. H.P. Heineken Centre provides unique possibilities for further intensifying a collaboration with Heineken on biotechnology-based innovations in brewing.
“Biotechnology has an immense potential to address global challenges and to make our future society more sustainable,” Pronk said. “Our staff and students are eager to contribute to this mission through cutting-edge fermentation research at the interface of academia and industry.”
