Heineken invests €45 million in new R&D centre to drive innovation and sustainability goals

The new Dr. H.P. Heineken Centre building set to open in mid 2025.

Heineken has announced a €45 million investment in a new global research and development (R&D) centre in Zoeterwoude, the Netherlands, aiming to drive innovation across its product range and processes.

The new Dr. H.P. Heineken Centre, set to open in mid-2025, will serve as the core of Heineken’s global R&D network, which already spans hubs in Mexico, South Africa and Southeast Asia.

The 8,800 m² facility will bring together talent from 12 countries to work on innovation for well-known brands including Heineken®, Desperados and Amstel.

The centre will house specialised departments in sensory research, packaging development, and product and process optimisation. With facilities like laboratories, a model service centre and dedicated R&D offices, the centre is expected to play a significant role in advancing Heineken’s growth and sustainability strategy.

Heineken’s CEO, Dolf van den Brink, highlighted the importance of this initiative for the company’s future: “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.”

Van den Brink added that the centre will act as “the beating heart within our Global R&D network,” creating new avenues for optimising flavours and processes and for launching innovative products.

He described the project as 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.”

This development marks the latest step in Heineken’s goal towards net zero by 2030, following their announcement in September that they had secured three new brewing technical partners to help the company reach its Scope 1 and 2 targets by the end of the decade.

Strategic location

Strategically located next to Europe’s largest brewery and in close proximity to Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), the new R&D Centre will strengthen Heineken’s commitment to the Netherlands as a leader in food technology. The Zoeterwoude site is already home to Heineken’s successful sustainability initiatives, including the sector’s first large-scale e-boiler, which supports greener brewing practices.

The collaboration with TU Delft will also expand through the centre, providing hands-on research opportunities for Master’s and PhD students. “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 TU Delft.

Highlighting biotechnology’s role in solving global challenges, he added, “Our staff and students are eager to contribute to this mission through cutting-edge fermentation research at the interface of academia and industry.”