The cosmetics and beauty giant held a cornerstone laying ceremony for the GIC on October 24th 2016 in the Minato Mirai 21 area, the central business district of Yokohama, Japan, to celebrate the start of construction on the GIC.
GIC will be the company’s new global innovation hub of R＆D functions and is designed to create innovations through communication with various people including consumers. It aims to serve as the basic research base that underpins Shiseido’s future growth.
Tipped as the world’s largest level in scale cosmetics research facility and the first of its kind to deliver its open style of R&D, it is expected to start operations at the end of 2018.
Forging ahead
In May this year, Shiseido Americas Innovation Centre was expanded and re-opened, and China Innovation Centre in Shanghai will be expanded in November 2016. Along with this, Shiseido will upgrade its nine innovation centres, which are located in five countries worldwide.
This year, Shiseido Research Center celebrated its 100th anniversary. In the last century, it has focused on developing products through advanced dermatology research and formulation technologies.
As the Asian cosmetics market has seen tremendous growth and potential in recent years, brands are increasingly finding it necessary to gain a clear competitive advantage.
“Amid this situation, we felt the necessity of creating a new value of 'fusion and innovation' through integrating various knowledge and expertise as well as communicating with diverse people," announced Shiseido in a recent press release.
In addition to creating this new research environment, Shiseido has already started to transform company processes and systems. These include the reform of its R＆D intangibles such as the work styles of researchers, as well as applying the know-hows of both internal and external R＆D sites.
The centre will include an urban open lab, which aims to create value through direct exchange with active consumers; the integration of versatile expertise with cutting-edge research facilities and other industries, such as logistics and a global innovation hub that provides broadcasting value through the centralisation of technical information and consumer information.
To encourage open communication, Shiseido’s global innovation hub will keep its first and second floors spare to provide consumers with a Beauty Bar. Consumers will be able to try Shiseido cosmetic products and communicate with the researchers and Active Beauty Station. The construction plans include a museum, which will aim to create a fully immersive experience and visual inspiration through a presentation space on the beauty of the future and a library.