Nestle to set up R & D Centre in Delhi:

Sri Lanka to benefit

Sanjeevi Jayasuriya

Nestle will set up a Research and Development Centre in India with the aim of incorporating scientific findings in its product offering.

The R and D Centre in Delhi will provide opportunities for researchers and developers and Sri Lanka could benefit from this move. Research and development is a vital ingredient in producing high quality nutritionally sound products, Nestle Lanka PLC Managing Director Alois Hofbauer said.

There will be the possibility of creating relationships by way of forming partnerships, sourcing raw material, knowledge sharing and training for young Sri Lankans, he said.

There will be capacity development in the Thalawakelle Tea Research Institute and the Anuradhapura Post Harvest Institute.

The Indian centre will collaborate with Sri Lankan universities and develop alliances with key local universities and will start up programs aimed at key suppliers. The synergy of innovative partnership will be not only for scientific purposes but also for commercial use. It will help to create business propositions, he said.

The Nestle innovation will be in three steps addressing consumer benefits, five generation pipeline and deployment with new concept, basic science and research, product and process development, industrial start up and technical assistance making significant inroads.

The research will focus on developing a capsule out of fresh tea grown in the countries of China, Japan, Sri Lanka, India and South Africa.

Sri Lanka is at a stage where its main focus is on innovation, research and development for rapid economic development. This will target overcoming poverty and unemployment, Scientific Affairs Senior Minister Prof Tissa Vitharana said.

One of the factors to consider is exporting high tech products where the country at present exports only 1.8 percent of high tech inputs, he said.

“Not only value addition, but high value addition is necessary. There is a need to collaborate with the science community for far reaching benefits. We need to change the mindset to accept the importance of research and development,” he said.

The Indian research centre will have a catalytic effect and the activities in India will be a stimulus to Sri Lanka, Prof Vitharana said. The setting up of the Indian research centre will be completed in July 2012.