Singapore – International brewer Heineken has announced the setting up of its global innovation hub in Singapore today. Supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), the hub is part of the brewer’s global network of five innovation hubs and will enhance collaboration across global, regional and market levels to deliver global innovations that fulfil unmet and emerging consumer needs.
The hub will also contribute to Heineken’s plan to deliver disruptive and scalable product innovations and double Heineken’s innovation rate by 2025. Its goal is to shape the future of beer and beyond to win the hearts of consumers.
Tapping into breweries and pilot plants across operating companies in APAC and research partners in Singapore, the innovation hub team will drive Heineken’s APAC innovation strategy and lead product development projects.
Collaborating with Singapore’s ecosystem of flavour houses, R&D labs, and institutes of higher learning will help generate IP, build capabilities, and facilitate knowledge transfer.
Jacco van der Linden, regional president for APAC at Heineken, said, “Our APAC innovation hub will allow us to aggregate clusters of consumer data across the region, distil key insights, and translate this into opportunities for innovation. This is a game-changer for us, and we will work with our partners to create new and exciting experiences for consumers like Heineken Silver and the recently launched Tiger Soju Infused Lager. We also thank EDB for their support and look forward to working with them as we accelerate our innovation efforts.”
Meanwhile, Fong Pin Fen, vice president and head of consumer at EDB, commented, “Singapore welcomes Heineken’s decision to tap on our food and beverage innovation capabilities with its APAC innovation hub setup here. Heineken’s new set-up is now part of a vibrant innovation ecosystem of globally leading brands engaging in new product development from Singapore.”
She added, “It will create exciting job opportunities for our talent and collaboration opportunities for our research institutes and startup community. We look forward to the new products being developed out of the APAC Innovation Hub to cater to global markets from Singapore.”
