Heineken has decided to invest 45 million Euros in a new global research and development centre at Zoeterwoude, the Netherlands. The new centre will be called Dr. H.P. Heineken Centre, named after Henry Pierre Heineken, a chemist born in 1886 and died in 1971 who implemented improvements and innovations fundamental to the quality of Heineken. 

The 8,800 square metre centre, as the official release explains, will focus on developing new products and improving existing ones. The company will also employ staff from 12 countries to work on innovations for brands such as Heineken, Desperados and Amstel. The facility will have offices, laboratories, a model service centre and departments for sensory research and packaging development: this is, according to the company, a key part of Heineken’s global R & D network, which includes centres in Mexico, South Africa and Southeast Asia. 

Strategically located next to the largest brewery in Europe and close to the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Zoeterwoude centre is "well placed to promote both local and global innovation". The site will also be the setting for Heineken’s sustainability initiatives, including the installation of the industry’s first large-scale electric boiler.

"Since the founding of Heineken, innovation and technology have been at the core of our success, from yeast A, which has provided the unique taste of Heineken since the 19th century, to the alcohol-free beer revolution led by Heineken 0.0 -Heinken’s ceo, Dolf van den Brink-. This centre, the beating heart of our global R&D network, opens up new possibilities for optimising flavours and processes and bringing innovative products to market. This is a key milestone in the implementation of our Brew a Better World 2030 strategy, through which Heineken raises the bar and allows us to progress faster towards a zero-emission world and a fairer and healthier world. By choosing Zoeterwoude as the home of Dr. H.P. Heineken Centre, Heineken underlines its commitment to the Netherlands and helps keep the Netherlands at the forefront of food technology".

Heineken’s collaboration with TU Delft will be further strengthened by the new centre, which will offer master and doctoral students the opportunity to engage in pioneering biotechnology projects.

"The new Dr. H.P. Heineken Centre -adds Jack Pronk, professor and head of the biotechnology department at TU Delft- offers unique opportunities to further intensify our collaboration with Heineken on biotechnology-based innovations in brewing. Biotechnology has immense potential to meet global challenges and 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 between academia and industry".