TRUMBULL, Conn. (July 25, 2025) – Today, Unilever celebrates another milestone in its fragrance journey with the opening of its U.S. Fragrance Lab, located within the company’s existing Trumbull, Connecticut Research & Development (R&D) facility. The expansion is part of Unilever’s previously announced €100 million global investment to build world-class in-house fragrance capabilities, accelerating growth and productivity through fragrance design and ingredient buying, while continuing to work closely with key global fragrance house partners.
The U.S fragrance lab represents the next chapter in Unilever's commitment to understanding and delivering on what consumers want through elevated scent experiences, personalization, and trend-driven product development. The lab will serve as a collaborative space for industry-leading perfumers, scientists, and product developers to innovate together, using state-of-the-art tools and digital-first capabilities to accelerate the creation of unique, future-forward scent experiences.
“The opening of our U.S. fragrance lab is a bold step forward in accelerating how we innovate,” said Paula Campos, Associate Director, Unilever U.S. Fragrance Creative Center. “This milestone strengthens our local expertise in a key market and equips our teams to move faster, combining cutting-edge science, digital technologies, and consumer insight to craft more meaningful brand experiences with fragrances that truly resonate.”
The facility includes a fragrance research and innovation lab, a compounding facility where new fragrances are blended and developed, and evaluation booths where products are tested to assess performance and preference. The site will be digitally enabled end-to-end, including digital modelling, analytics and the use of AI to drive fragrance development.
The opening of the U.S. lab comes on the heels of another major milestone: the debut of Unilever's first in-house fragrance creation, developed by its U.S. team and featured in the Dove Rose Berry Bouquet range, and part of the wider Dove Garden Tea Party collection. The body care collection, inspired by springtime tea gatherings, launched last month and underscores Unilever's new capability in end-to-end fragrance creation.
A lab inauguration ceremony was held on July 23, 2025, to mark this important milestone.
The U.S. fragrance lab supports Unilever’s strategy to accelerate growth and enhance productivity by giving teams greater control over the design and refinement of fragrances, one of the key drivers of product formulation and consumer preference.
By combining expertise in areas including AI and digital product development with long-standing partnerships, Unilever will enable faster delivery of unmissably superior, premium scent experiences that drive desire at scale across its brands.