Unilever: Masters at Product & Material Innovation

Unilever is one of the biggest global manufacturers, with 400 brands in 190 countries and a 2023 revenue of US$74.141bn.

Driving its success is material and product innovation, which the company is refining at its manufacturing R&D centres. 

With a portfolio of over 20,500 patents and millions in investment, Unilever intimately understands the importance of manufacturing innovation and experimentation.

By integrating industrial robots and advanced AI into its manufacturing process, Unilever has experienced enhanced manufacturing efficiency and insight, creating new haircare and domestic products.

These new products have been created at three critical Unilever R&D sites: The Materials Innovation factory, the Product Innovation lab and the Advanced Manufacturing Centre. 

The Materials Innovation Factory

The Materials Innovation Factory (MIF), co-founded by Unilever, the University of Liverpool and Research England, boasts the highest concentration of robots dedicated to materials chemistry globally. 

These robots play a crucial role in advancing research by providing consistent, round-the-clock testing and generating extensive data insights. 

The MIF’s robots contributed significantly to the development of Persil Wonder Wash, a new laundry detergent featuring a unique combination of enzymes under the patent-pending Pro-S technology.

Industrial robots allowed Unilever through their continuous operation to conduct tests that would’ve otherwise taken weeks. 

The robots also feature versatile programming, capable of simulating various washing machine cycles and customising parameters like temperature, water type and cycle type to match global usage. 

Finally, the testing conducted by the industrial robots provides vast amounts of data which allows Unilever to adjust critical variables and predict product performance.

This allows them to engage in continuous improvement, enhancing their products and manufacturing process.

“Using robots allows us to maintain consistency across sampling and testing, ensuring the data we share with our colleagues across the world is of the highest quality,” says Dr Keith Rutherford, Head of Global Innovation at Unilever Home Care R&D.

“We’re also freeing up time for our scientists, which provides room for them to be creative, to experiment and invent, rather than taking on repetitive jobs.

“This is all helping us to bring new innovations to market at a pace previously unimaginable. We’re responding to consumer needs, faster and better than ever before.”

The Product Innovation Lab

Opened in 2023, the Product Innovation Lab in Port Sunlight produces product and manufacturing innovation through scientific research and technology. 

Recently, they’ve been responding to the rise in consumer demand for haircare products that repair and protect damaged hair.

With the ongoing popularity of styling trends and box dye, people are seeking products that will also maintain hair colour. 

“To meet these needs, we developed technologies that work on and inside hair fibres to repair damage,” says Glyn Roberts, VP, Hair Care R&D at Unilever.

“We started by exploring the hair’s natural armour which are the cuticles on the outside. These cuticles have an oil on their surface that acts as a natural conditioner. When hair is damaged, the oil is lost.

“And without this protective layer, hair treatments such as bleach, UV rays from strong sunlight, even hair washing, can damage the inner proteins that give hair its strength.”

Unilever’s Smart Fibre Shield and Fibre Active Technologies, protected by 11 patents, work to protect hair by precisely targeting hair follicles to repair any internal and external damage.

“They do this by delivering product to the most damaged parts of the hair surface, penetrating and reconstructing damaged inner hair fibres and providing smoothness and detangling during the wash,” adds Glyn.

“The products are designed to progressively build up the hair’s natural resilience which helps to protect against future damage and leaves hair looking smooth and nourished,”

These technologies are now incorporated into Dove’s Intensive Repair Technology range which includes a shampoo, conditioner and mask.

The Advanced Manufacturing Centre

Every formulation created in our Port Sunlight laboratories is sent to the Advanced Manufacturing Centre to be converted into a ‘factory-ready’ innovation. 

The centre is equipped with advanced manufacturing equipment that mirrors our various global production processes. 

At the centre, Unilever assesses product quality, process efficiency, and packaging line design.

“Equipment has advanced sensors built in that allow our engineers to develop digital twins of our production processes,” explains Process Development Engineering Manager Julian Clarke. 

“Analysing this huge body of data using tools such as AI and machine learning enables us to create optimised and customised process recipes for our factories around the world.

“And that means we can produce great products, at every location, every time.”

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