Unilevers New Open Innovation Space Supports Sustainable Growth

LONDONUnilevers Open Innovation launched a new online platform to has extended its collaborative approach with partners and to help it deliver a range of important innovation projects that support the company's sustainable growth strategy.

The details of a range of research projects have been published online to invite potential collaborators to work with Unilever's Research & Development team to design the innovation breakthroughs which will create a better future for its consumers, the environment, its business and its partners.

Each Open Innovation project at Unilever is defined by its "Want"the technical solution the company is looking to work with external collaborators to develop. The "Wants" listed on the new platform span across Unilever's commitment to both reduce its environmental impact and increase its positive social impact.

Smart collaboration with partners gives both parties the freedom to do business in new and invigorating wayscreating shared value along the way. It brings together the expertise and experience of our sustainable innovation capability with new thinking and creativity from partners, creating new business models in which ideas flourish," said Roger Leech, Unilever Open Innovation Scouting Director. A successful Open Innovation model will be absolutely fundamental to us achieving our ambition of doubling the size of our business while not only reducing our environmental impact, but increasing our positive social impact too."

Some of the Unilever's most important innovations have been developed through the Open Innovation model, and in 2011, the company had one or more activities under development with more than 500 innovation partners.

An example of Unilever Open Innovation in action is the company's Pureit range of water purifying products, which was developed in collaboration with a range of technology partners and scientific and public health institutions. Pureit has now been rolled out to all 28 states in India, bringing safe drinking water to more than 30 million people. The device also has been launched in Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and other countries facing a shortage of affordable clean water.