AMSTERDAM | HEINEKEN announced the construction of a Global Research and Development Centre in Zoeterwoude, the Dr. H.P. Heineken Centre.
Starting in mid-2025, the Dr. H.P. Heineken Centre will focus on developing new HEINEKEN products and improving existing products and processes. This investment showcased HEINEKEN's commitment to innovation and knowledge in the Netherlands.
The €45 million R&D Centre will focus on improving existing products and processes and developing new products. Opening in mid-2025, this new Global R&D Centre will play a crucial role in HEINEKEN's innovation and growth strategy.
The Dr. H.P. Heineken Centre, covering an area of 8,800 m², will employ staff from 12 countries to work on innovation within global brands such as Heineken, Desperados and Amstel.
This new facility includes offices, laboratories, a model service centre and sensory research and packaging development departments. It will play a leading role within HEINEKEN’s global R&D network, which includes hubs in Mexico, South Africa and Southeast Asia.
“Since HEINEKEN's founding, innovation and technology have been the foundation of our success, ranging from our A-yeast, which has been providing the unique taste of Heineken since the 19th century, to the alcohol-free beer revolution led by Heineken 0.0. As the beating heart within our Global R&D network, this Centre opens new possibilities to optimise flavours and processes and to bring innovative products to market,” said Dolf van den Brink, Chairman of the Executive Board/CEO
“This is a crucial milestone in realising our Brew a Better World 2030 strategy, through which HEINEKEN raises the bar and enables faster progress towards a net zero and a fairer, healthier world. By choosing Zoeterwoude as the location for the Dr. H.P. Heineken Centre, HEINEKEN underscores its commitment to the Netherlands and contributes to maintaining the Netherlands as a leader in food technology.”
The location in Zoeterwoude, next to the largest brewery in Europe and near the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), has created the ideal environment for fostering global and local innovation.
Previous successes developed in Zoeterwoude include Heineken 0.0, the Draught Keg, and the horizontal fermentation system that creates Heineken’s distinctive flavour. Zoeterwoude is also where HEINEKEN has been working on sustainability initiatives, such as installing the sector’s first large-scale e-boiler.
The brewery's collaboration with the TU Delft, where it has established a dedicated HEINEKEN laboratory and invests in biotechnological research, will also be strengthened in the new facility, providing opportunities for Master’s and PhD students to contribute to innovative projects.
“The new Dr. H.P. Heineken Centre provides unique possibilities for further intensifying our collaboration with HEINEKEN on biotechnology-based innovations in brewing,” said Jack Pronk, professor and head of the Biotechnology Department at Delft University of Technology.
“Biotechnology has immense potential to address global challenges and to make our future society more sustainable. Our staff and students are eager to contribute to this mission through cutting-edge fermentation research at the interface of academia and industry.”
The Dr. H.P. Heineken Centre is named after Dr. Henry Pierre Heineken (1886-1971), who, as a doctor of chemistry, developed and implemented many quality improvements and innovative ideas from the laboratory. His knowledge of chemistry and sharp business acumen positioned Henry Pierre as the first successor to HEINEKEN founder Gerard Adriaan Heineken and his wife, Mary Tindal, in 1914.
