Our Managing Director, Zoltan Novak, gives his account of this historic moment in the journey of our state-of-the-art innovation hub for Chocolate and Biscuits.
What an exciting day for our Polish team last week. On June 8, in bright sunshine, we proudly broke ground to officially start the construction of our new global Research, Development & Quality (RDQ) site in Bielany Wroclawskie. With a symbolic turn of the first shovelful of soil, Rob Hargrove, EVP RDQ, and Marcin Krzyzanowski, Advisor to the Lower Silesia Governor, marked this important milestone for Poland and the company's RDQ network in Europe.
The state-of- the-art research and development facility is expected to open in the first quarter 2017 and will support new products and technologies for our beloved Power Brands like Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka, Barni and Oreo. The site will also be equipped with innovation labs, a new pilot plant and a "collaboration kitchen," a creative space for new ideas and experimentation.
"This $15 million investment supports our growth strategy to offer innovative chocolate and biscuit products that meet the changing needs of consumers, while maintaining a competitive edge in the markets of tomorrow," Rob said. "Embedding one of our largest research hubs here clearly signals the importance of Poland and Europe within our global RDQ network."
The investment will not only boost our already innovative global chocolate and biscuit Power Brands, but it's also expected to host 250 scientists, engineers and other specialists recruited from all over the world, including Poland. Given the vast number of locally renowned technical universities that educate top-notch professionals in the Wroclaw area, we're confident that this talent will help us to create a strong future for our global Power Brands and make the new center a successful hub for innovation.
I'm incredibly proud to have the new center call Wroclaw, Poland, its home. Wroclaw is rapidly becoming the 'Silicon Valley' of Poland as well as an incredibly important and strategic location for our business.
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