IMCD Group, a globally recognized leader in the distribution
Food & Nutrition application laboratory at its Cologne, Germany facility This significant enhancement not only modernizes the lab’s capabilities but also marks a strategic advancement in IMCD Germany’s commitment to supporting innovation across the food and beverage industry. The newly renovated space is designed to serve as a collaborative hub where manufacturers can co-develop new recipes, explore market-driven concepts, and undertake joint innovation initiatives with expert technical guidance.
This upgrade represents more than just a physical renovation—it signals a deeper investment in cross-sector synergy. For the first time, IMCD Germany has integrated three distinct technical disciplines under a single roof: Food & Nutrition, Pharmaceutical, and Beauty & Personal Care. Dubbed the “Life Science Hub,” this unified approach fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and accelerates the development of holistic, consumer-focused solutions. According to Daniel Kany, Business Unit Manager for Food & Nutrition at IMCD Germany, the hub delivers a best-in-class environment for application support, technical consulting, and regulatory guidance—key pillars in bringing innovative, compliant, and market-ready products to life.
The newly enhanced Food & Nutrition laboratory is equipped with cutting-edge technology and staffed by specialists who bring deep industry knowledge to every project. It serves a wide array of market segments, including bakery, beverages, confectionery, dairy, edible oils and fats, fruits and vegetables, nutritional supplements, and savory food products. Leveraging IMCD’s global network of technical experts, the lab is well-positioned to tackle complex formulation challenges. Its core competencies revolve around enhancing taste profiles, optimizing texture, boosting nutritional value, and improving functional performance in food products. Customers benefit not only from hands-on formulation support but also from access to a broad portfolio of high-quality ingredients and deep technical know-how.
Adjacent to the Food & Nutrition lab, IMCD’s Pharmaceutical Technical Centre (PTC) continues its decade-long mission of supporting the development of advanced pharmaceutical and nutraceutical formulations. Equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation for solid, semi-solid, and liquid dosage forms, the PTC enables partners to innovate patient-friendly medications and supplements. A key strength lies in its expertise in flavor-masking technologies—a crucial factor in improving patient compliance, especially for pediatric and geriatric formulations. In addition to formulation development, the center offers regulatory consultation, hands-on training sessions, and opportunities for knowledge exchange through IMCD’s international network of laboratories.
Completing the triad is the Beauty & Personal Care laboratory, where formulators work closely with brand owners to create next-generation skincare, sun protection, haircare, body care, fragrance, and cosmetic products. The lab features an integrated beauty studio where customized prototypes are developed in close collaboration with clients, ensuring alignment with brand identity and consumer expectations. Beyond product development, the team offers formulation workshops, curated sample kits, and tailored application testing. Educational seminars on emerging trends, ingredient innovations, and regulatory developments further empower customers to stay ahead in the fast-evolving beauty market.
By consolidating these three specialized laboratories into one cohesive Life Science Hub, IMCD Germany is reinforcing its role as a strategic innovation partner across multiple consumer-facing industries. The integration encourages knowledge transfer between sectors—for example, insights from flavor-masking in pharmaceuticals can inform strategies in functional foods, while texture-enhancing technologies from confectionery may inspire new cosmetic textures. This cross-pollination of expertise not only drives efficiency but also sparks novel product concepts that meet evolving consumer demands for health, performance, and sensory appeal.The reopening of the modernized Cologne facility underscores IMCD’s long-term vision: to provide a dynamic, future-ready platform where science, creativity, and collaboration converge to deliver impactful solutions for manufacturers worldwide.
Synergies under one roof
The close networking of the three laboratories in the new Life Science Hub creates synergies that allow innovative formulations to be developed faster and more practically. “With our modern equipment, the test kitchen and the interdisciplinary interfaces, we can support our customers even more specifically with demanding recipes,” explains Katja Wilmes, Application Technologist of the Food & Nutrition Business Unit at IMCD Germany. “Whether we intensify the taste, improve the mouthfeel, extend the shelf life or enrich products with nutrients – we combine the right ingredients with technical expertise. This results in new solutions that can be quickly adapted to changing market conditions.”
A glance into the Food & Nutrition Laboratory
The new location in Cologne is now open for customer visits and joint projects. Interested parties are invited to make a personal appointment and get to know the possibilities of the Life Science Hub on site. A compact virtual tour of the new Food & Nutrition laboratory with insights into equipment and applications can be found in the video on our website.
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