IFF announced plans to renovate and expand its facilities in Shanghai Hongqiao Airport Business Park, Shanghai, China, with an expected completion by the end of August.

The 16,000 square-meter site, named “Shanghai Creative Center,” is IFF’s largest site in Asia. The project is designed to drive the development of innovative solutions across IFF’s portfolio of fragrances, flavors, functional ingredients, and bioscience-based products in China.

“The Shanghai Creative Center will bring together capabilities across IFF, all in one location, enabling us to improve our delivery of end-to-end solutions for customers in Asia and around the world,” said Erik Fyrwald, IFF chief executive officer. “This was a natural next step following the opening of our Singapore Innovation Center in 2022 and reaffirms our dedication to advancing innovation in Asia.”

IFF first entered the Chinese market in 1981, and reports that it was the first multinational company in the fragrance and flavor industry to establish a footprint in the country and build a factory. Today, China has become one of the most important markets for flavors and fragrances. Further, the region’s demand for bioscience-based products is rapidly growing, IFF reports, as consumers seek options for longevity and healthy lifestyles.

“IFF has a long track-record of partnering with our customers to create successful solutions that meet their consumers’ needs,” said Ana Paula Mendonça, president of IFF Scent. “The Shanghai Creative Center will foster outstanding ideation, supporting the art of taste, biotech, and perfumery, for even more out-of-the-box innovation across our portfolio.”

The new facility will include an open-office layout, sensory science center, a scent creative center, and labs set up for creation, design, and product analysis. The site’s culinary demo kitchen and its instant noodle pilot line will be part of the culinary innovation.

The center also features a fine fragrance area dedicated to perfumery, and a 360-degree digital space, offering both a physical and digital olfactory experience that includes live-streamed educational workshops.