The laboratory, which will specialize in food science and technology, will be based in National University of Singapore (NUS) and jointly run by Kikkoman and the university’s Food Science & Technology Programme.
From Singapore, Kikkoman now operates a 24,000 square meter plant, which produces up to 12,000 kilolitres of soy sauce annually, and its latest R&D investment in Singapore is timely, said Yuzaburo Mogi, chairman and CEO of the company. Asia has the largest growth potential for the company’s products during the next decade.
“We intend to continue expanding into Asian markets, taking advantage of Kikkoman’s high-level technology and strong sales network,” he said. “Our aim is to develop tasty, high-quality products based on traditional Asian foods, responding to increasingly sophisticated and diverse consumer preferences.”
The Kikkoman-NUS Collaborative R&D Laboratory will set out to achieve that. In a memorandum of understanding, both parties will leverage their expertise to develop new food products, conduct basic and applied research in food science and technology, study the function and safety of new food products, collect information, and conduct market research on Asian foods.
“We can look forward to this synergistic partnership yielding innovative, healthy food products for the marketplace,” said Shih Choon Fong, president of NUS.
Shih said the food industry would benefit from access to the substantial research infrastructure and expertise of the university, while the university staff would get to work on real-life problems and make a direct contribution to economic growth and competitiveness.
