£200m science centre opens in Hull creating 200 jobs

Consumer health, hygiene and home company RB plc has opened its Science and Innovation Centre in Hull.

The S&I Centre includes new consumer health laboratory facilities and is said to be the first milestone of RB’s ongoing £200m investment programme for Hull.

Alongside the new centre, the firm is also committing £95m to upgrade the manufacturing facilities on the Hull site which employs 1,400. The new centre is set to create 200 new jobs.

Opening the Science and Innovation Centre today (December 3), Laxman Narasimhan, CEO of RB, said: “Despite the current macro-economic uncertainty in the UK, it is our firm belief that our new centre will help the country further develop its scientific talent and R&D credentials.

“It underlines our view that the UK is the best place to invest in consumer health R&D.”

As well as today’s site investment, RB is partnering with Hull York Medical School and the University of Hull to offer a new MSc in pharmacology and drug development.

The MSc programme will provide students with critical insights into the entire development journey of a clinical drug from laboratory to consumers’ homes.

Students will have unique access to RB’s healthcare S&I Centre in Hull, and RB employees will deliver lectures and provide mentoring.

Between 2017 and 2021, total spending is £95m on a factory extension, additional production lines and processing suites, asset replacement programme and infrastructure.

The S&I Centre is RB’s largest healthcare development centre in the world and the biggest single site investment in the company’s history.

Dr Bruce Charlesworth, chief medical officer for relief, hygiene and wellness, who heads up the Hull site, added: “As a leading consumer health and hygiene company, RB’s mission is to create innovative solutions for healthier lives and happier homes.

“The Science and Innovation Centre supports that mission, helping us identify unmet needs and create superior solutions that put self-care in the hands of consumers around the world.”