JURONG, SINGAPORE — Mondelez International has opened a global technical center in Singapore, where up to 75 scientists, developers, engineers, analytical chemists and other specialists will develop new products and technologies for brands including Halls candy, Trident and Dentyne gum, Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate and Oreo cookies. The Singapore Technical Center is one of nine Research, Development, Quality and Innovation (RDQI) hubs around the globe, including five that are already in full operation — East Hanover, N.J.; Curitiba, Brazil; Bournville, and Reading, United Kingdom; and Wroclaw, Poland — and other redesigned centers in India, Mexico and China that are expected to open in 2018 and 2019.

“Our purpose and vision at Mondelez International are simple — to create more moments of joy for our consumers with our much-loved brands by building the best snacking company in the world,” said Maurizio Brusadelli, executive vice-president and president, AMEA (Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa).  “Singapore’s fantastic infrastructure, thriving RDQI ecosystem and the collaborative approach of government organizations makes it a perfect place for innovation. This is one of the many reasons why we have made Singapore the home of our AMEA region.”

The RDQI hubs are part of a $65 million investment that is expected to enable Mondelez to better recruit, retain and develop talent while streamlining processes and accelerating product development.

“Through our advantaged technical centers, we’re focusing our investment in research, equipment and capabilities, driving innovation to support our growth strategy, margin and quality platforms,” said Rob Hargrove, executive vice-president, Research, Development, Quality and Innovation. “As consumers’ preferences and lifestyles continue to evolve, innovation is core to achieving that mission. These hubs will improve speed, efficiency and effectiveness, while increased scale will enable us to more quickly meet consumer needs. As a world class RDQI team, we want to attract people at the forefront of thriving innovation scenes. Singapore has an incredible and diverse pool of young tech talent, which we look forward to nurturing as part of our RDQI team.”