The new centre will serve as the hub for Lonza Consumer Care, where its team will apply ingredient expertise and formulation design to create novel concepts that are substantiated through advanced measurement techniques.
With its proximity to a number of key global and regional hair care customers and its ease of access, the site is also in an ideal location, says Lonza.
“Establishing this lab allows us to deliver specialty, science-backed solutions targeting the hair fibre and collaborate with manufacturers and marketers of hair care brands globally,” says Penny Antonopoulos, Head of Global Marketing, Personal Care.
“The addition of this Centre to Lonza’s R&D footprint allows us to leverage our fundamental understanding of the properties of hair and generate robust data packages that will strengthen the benefits of the current hair care portfolio, as well as create new product developments,” adds Dr Jamie Hawkes, Global Head of Haircare Technology.
Building expertise
Lonza already has two specialised research centres in the US, one for skin care and one for innovation technology, and will be able to build on these with this hair care addition.
The Manchester-based facility will utilise industry standard equipment and methods to test efficacy data, as well as bespoke equipment and protocols which Lonza has developed in order to make sure products meet consumers’ needs and provide the company with additional data.
“By collaborating with our customers and giving them data that they would need to generate themselves, we are effectively helping them shortcut their development process, which ultimately is in the best interest of both parties, who can work together to create formulas that meet consumer expectations,” says Hawkes.
“With the Global Centre of Skin Care Technology located in South Plainfield, New Jersey, and the Alpharetta Innovation Technology Centre located in Georgia – both in the United States – this global network will provide solutions that resonate with the scalp and hair care needs that today’s consumers around the world desire,” Antonopoulos adds.