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IMCD Germany has announced a major upgrade to its technical infrastructure, officially establishing a new Life Science Hub at its headquarters in Cologne. The initiative is anchored by the reopening of its Food & Nutrition application laboratory in November 2025, which has been extensively renovated to foster cross-sector innovation.

The new hub consolidates three specialised facilities under a single roof, designed to encourage interdisciplinary exchange between the food, pharmaceutical, and beauty sectors.

Integrated Laboratory Ecosystem

The Life Science Hub is engineered to break down silos between related industries, allowing for the cross-pollination of formulation technologies. The facility brings together:

1. The newly opened Food & Nutrition Lab: Equipped with state-of-the-art technology and a fully operational test kitchen.

2. The Pharmaceutical Technical Centre.

3. The Beauty & Personal Care Lab.

According to IMCD, this proximity expands opportunities for product development, enabling customers to leverage technical insights from adjacent categories—such as pharmaceutical delivery systems applied to functional foods, or texture innovations shared between beauty and nutrition.

Capabilities and Services

The hub is positioned as a full-service innovation partner rather than just a testing ground. It offers a comprehensive suite of support services, including hands-on formulation development, technical consulting, and regulatory guidance.

Key Areas of Technical Expertise:

• Taste: Optimisation of flavour profiles and palatability.

• Texture & Mouthfeel: Development of specific consistencies and sensory experiences.

• Nutritional Ingredients: Incorporation of functional components to align with dietary trends.

• Functional Ingredients: Enhancement of formulation stability and performance.

Strategic Context

The Cologne facility operates as part of IMCD’s global cluster of technical excellence centres. By housing an in-house flavour library and providing access to a vast ingredient portfolio from leading manufacturers, the lab aims to accelerate time-to-market for German and European clients.

The company emphasises that commercial experts are embedded within the hub to bridge the gap between technical solutions and market needs, offering real-time insights into local trends within the German market.

Access and Collaboration

IMCD Germany has confirmed that the Life Science Hub is now fully operational and open for customer visits. The company is actively inviting industry partners to schedule personal appointments to explore joint projects and utilise the facility for "co-creation" sessions.