Open Innovation

We have a vision of a better future for our world and our business and we want partners to share it. If you have a new design or technology that could help us grow our business and solve the challenges we’ve set, we’d like to work with you through Open Innovation.

Bringing the best solutions to billions of consumers

Information on submitting a technical solution

FAQs: get information on how to submit your technical solution.

Our world-class research and development facilities are making breakthroughs that keep Unilever at the forefront of product development. We are constantly looking for new ways to work with potential partners through Open Innovation.

Our Unilever Sustainable Living Plan (USLP) is central to our business model. It sets out how we are growing our business, whilst reducing our environmental footprint and increasing our positive social impact. Innovation plays a vital part in this – so we want good technological ideas to become reality quickly for whoever thought of them first. If you are working on a project that could match our ambitions, why not consider a partnership with us - so that we can build success together?

How you can work with us

We will consider partnerships with established suppliers, start-ups, academics, designers, individual inventors – anyone with a practical innovation that can help us meet our challenges.

Latest challenges and wants

Naturals for Microbiome control

Identification of external suppliers with libraries of functional natural and botanical derived compounds / extracts / products available for testing.

Background: An opportunity has been identified across BPC categories where consumers have an increasing preference for naturally derived formulations including those from botanical sources. It is desired to deliver functionality (antimicrobial, prebiotic, anti inflammatory etc) using natural or botanical derived products / extracts / actives. Currently there are limited libraries of functional natural compounds with the desired activity available at a cost-effective price and at relevant levels of production.

The goal of this project is to identify 3rd party suppliers who can provide materials for internal screening against relevant target endpoints. Materials with multiple functional properties are highly desired. Available materials will undergo appropriate screening at Unilever facilities against multiple end points and selected leads will be further investigated for safety and formulation compatibility in advance of potential progression to relevant clinical studies.

Materials may be used across personal care / cosmetics areas including skin care, scalp care, face care and oral care (some additional specific requirements for oral care actives).

Description:

Natural materials or nature identical (primarily but not limited to botanical derived actives)
Known activity for endpoints not limited to antimicrobial, anti inflammatory, anti oxidant, anti-biofilm.
Preference for non colored materials however not essential.
Materials available in large volume for potential market launch cosmetic grade and food grade materials desired – compliance with regulatory and safety requirements for Oral Care desired.
Materials available in high concentration (i.e. 10% upwards) to facilitate tests at >5% inclusion level
A sample of the solvent and preservative system to use as a control in assessment.
Non GMO.
Preferred non-cariogenic (Oral Care specific requirement).
Formulation compatibility.
Environmental toxicity package.
Compositional analysis of extracts including identification of active material.
Safety Package.

Desired Outcome (include preferred collaboration types here) :

Supply of materials in relevant quantities and format for testing at Unilever.
Following in vitro testing proceed to clinical studies where appropriate.
Exclusive supply agreement for materials between 3rd party supplier and Unilever.

What we aren’t interested in:

Known toxic materials, sensitizer, high heavy metals, carcinogen or other special handling or consumer safety requirement
Known drugs or medicines
Known regulatory prohibited materials
Materials with significant colour or odour or taste
Materials that will require cold shipping and selling when in a finished product
Materials with likely or known allergenicity risk
Technology knowingly owned by or licensed to 3rd party competitors of Unilever
Material / Formulation testing on animals post 2010
Drug registered materials
Materials with a solvent/carrier/diluent or preservation system that cannot be used in oral care (Oral Care specific requirement)

Prebiotics for Microbiome control

Identification of external suppliers with libraries of prebiotic ingredients available for testing.

Background: An opportunity has been identified across BPC categories where consumers have an increasing preference for prebiotic formulations including prebiotics from botanical sources. It is desired to deliver functionality (microbial control) using prebiotic materials. Currently there are limited libraries of prebiotic compounds with the desired activity available at a cost-effective price and at relevant levels of production.

The goal of this project is to identify 3rd party suppliers who can provide materials for internal screening against relevant target endpoints. Available materials will undergo appropriate screening at Unilever facilities against multiple end points and selected leads will be further investigated for safety and formulation compatibility in advance of potential progression to clinical studies.

Materials may be used across personal care / cosmetics areas including skin care, scalp care, face care and oral care (some additional specific requirements for oral care actives).

Description:

Prebiotic materials (materials intended for use as a growth or metabolic substrate by relevant microrganisms)
Preference for non colored materials however not essential.
Materials available in large volume for potential market launch cosmetic grade and food grade materials desired. Specific oral care grade compliance required for use by Oral Care category.
Non GMO.
Specific to oral application the material should not lead to microbial fermentation/acid production (Oral Care specific requirement).
Formulation compatibility.
Compositional analysis of extracts including identification of active material.
Safety Package.

Desired Outcome (include preferred collaboration types here) :

Supply of materials in relevant quantities and format for testing at Unilever.
Following in vitro testing proceed to clinical studies where appropriate.
Exclusive supply agreement for materials between 3rd party supplier and Unilever.

What we aren’t interested in:

Known toxic materials, sensitizer, high heavy metals, carcinogen or other special handling or consumer safety requirement
Known drugs or medicines
Known regulatory prohibited materials
Materials with significant colour or odour or taste
Materials that will require cold shipping and selling when in a finished product
Materials with likely or known allergenicity risk
Technology knowingly owned by or licensed to 3rd party competitors of Unilever
Material / Formulation testing on animals post 2010
Drug registered materials
Materials with a solvent/carrier/diluent or preservation system that cannot be used in oral care (Oral Care specific requirement)

Ingredient or technology for prevention of oil oxidation

Overview

Oil oxidation is a series of chemical reactions that degrades the quality of oil, making it undesirable for consumption. It occurs in stages and produces many oxidation products that together contribute to rancidity and adverse characteristics. Rate of oxidation is affected by a number of factors - temperature, light, oxygen availability, presence of moisture and metals, and type of oil.

We are seeking solutions that can prevent oil oxidation of emulsions without impacting the flavour, appearance and product quality of the emulsion. Potential approaches could be in the form of a novel ingredient, processing techniques, packaging or technology. For example, encapsulation of oil could protect it from oxidising prior to its specific use, or a specific processing technique could lessen exposure to oxidising factors (light, temperature, moisture).

Main requirements

Prevention or delay of oil oxidation
Effective at acidic pH
Works under chilled and ambient temperatures
No adverse sensory effects on the emulsion

Desired outcome

The desired outcome is a technology, process, or ingredient that can prevent or delay oxidation of emulsions without negatively impacting the sensory properties of the emulsion (taste, smell, appearance, consistency). Current commercial natural anti-oxidants are not of interest.

Oxidation challenge - send an application

Intelligent packaging

Overview

We are seeking technologies that enhance the value and perceived value of products when incorporated onto primary packaging. We are seeking improvements in the connection between consumer and product (how-to-guides, recipes, reviews, gamification), potential health benefits (freshness indicator, cooking aid), or in the safety of the product (authentication, tamper evidence, anti-theft).

Main requirements

Technology should have a direct and perceivable benefit to the consumer when using the intelligent packaging.
Improvements in connectivity need to be relevant to the product and its target audience.
Safety and protection features should present in no compromise in the quality of the packaging and visibility or usability of the contents.

Desired outcome

Incorporation of a new technology into packaging to enhance value, user experience, consumer trust in products and consideration to environment (packaging waste stream and recyclability).

Intelligent packaging challenge - send an application

More for less

Overview

We are seeking new technologies and materials that can be incorporated into products to deliver the same or better functionality while using radically less material. These improvements in functionality could provide containers with a new purpose, a simplified purpose or the ability to refill contents.

Main requirements

Reduced amount of material used in packaging and the production of packaging through innovative design or material choices.
Any replacement materials must not significantly increase the cost of production.
Decrease in thickness and/or weight of packaging walls while maintaining shape, barrier properties and rigidity and consumer perception.

Desired outcome

Improvement in functionality of packaging while reducing the amount of material either in the final package, or reducing the amount of material used in the production stage.

More for less challenge - send an application

Superior functionality

Overview

We are seeking new technologies that can significantly improve the interactions that occur between consumers and packaging, primarily in the way packaging attracts, protects, and brings convenience. Improvements in how a product is sensed by consumers (audiovisual, tactile), how it protects our products, as well as improvements in practical functionality, will be considered.

Main requirements

Improved attraction to consumers through novel materials, shapes and decorations.
Improved performance of the product and its container. Examples include seals, easy open and dispensing technology and protection against damaging conditions (heat, light etc)

Desired outcome

Inclusion of new technology into packaging that improves function while retaining consumer attraction, low cost and visibility.

Superior functionality challenge - send an application

New and novel freezing and cooling technologies

Overview

Many current freezing and cooling techs are reliant on external power sources - in areas where power supply is unreliable or access to power is limited, there can be detrimental effects on chilled and frozen products. Therefore, we are seeking new innovations in chilling and freezing technologies that can be used to help reduce and/or maintain low temperature.

The solution could be a completely novel cooling technology, a retrofit to existing fridges or freezers, or a step-change in refrigeration design. Solutions could be from a number of industries or technology areas, such as novel insulation material, phase change materials, evaporative cooling refrigerators, or off-grid power solutions.

Key features

Reduces or maintains freezing temperatures
Ideally be non-powered or self-powered

Desired outcome

Desired outcome would be a cost-effective, self-powered innovation that can be used in an enclosed space to maintain temperatures lower than the ambient surrounding temperature.

Freezing and cooling challenge - send an application

Process for superficial surface modification of non-uniform flat shapes

Overview

We are seeking industrial-scale processes for surface modification or treatment of fibrous material in the form of indentations, intrusions, perforations, scoring, bruising, or microporations. Potential solutions of interest include but are not limited to - use of lasers, sand blasting, heat shock, rolling, and spiking. Industries that may have relevant solutions include food, textiles, packaging, wound care, and tobacco processing.

Key features

Surface modification of heterogeneous flat shapes
Continuous process
Must not cause structural damage
Potential for scalability to an industrial level
Ability to modify the surface without leaving residue
Solution must be food grade approach

Desired outcome

Desired outcome would be a scalable, cost-effective approach that can create superficial modifications to the surface of multiple flat shapes.

Surface modification challenge - send an application

Process for shape transformation of tea leaves

Overview

Current premium tea processing and shaping methods are predominantly manual and therefore labour intensive and high cost. Unilever is looking for processes for creating varied shapes of tea leaves, e.g. needles, circles, balls, spirals. Solutions must be industrial in scale or have the potential for industrial scaling, and could come from a number of industries (food, textiles, packaging, tobacco processing etc.) Example actions to achieve shape modification include tumbling, pressing, rolling, compacting, and drying.

Key features

Potential for scalability to an industrial level
Shape modification can be done without leaving residue or excess structural damage
Simple, cost-effective uniform shaping
No loss in mass

Desired outcome

We are seeking processes capable of scaling to an industrial level to enable controlled transformation of multiple tea leaves into predefined shapes.

Tea leaves challenge - send an application

Natural Antioxidant(s)

Natural antioxidant(s) for improving storage stability of fragrances and actives prone to oxidation

Background:

Synthetic antioxidants such as Tinogard TT (Pentaerythrityl tetra-di-t-butly hydroxyhydrocinnamate) and Tinogard DA (didodecyl 3,3'-thiodipropionate) have been used as highly effective stabilizers to prevent degradation of actives sensitive to oxidation. They can mitigate negative impacts of oxidatively unstable actives on stability of final formulations. However, due to their synthetic nature, they are not suitable for use in natural Skin Care formulations. Some existing natural antioxidants such as tocopherol and rosemary extract come with strong odor or color profile, which introduced undesirable sensory attributes in final formulations. There is a need for natural alternative to TInogard TT and Tinogard DA antioxidants.

Description:

Natural antioxidant(s) for improving storage stability of fragrances and actives prone to oxidation. Natural antioxidant must be parity or superior in performance to Tinogard TT and Tinogard DA.

Desired Outcome (include preferred collaboration types here) :

Proof of principle studies versus Tinogard TT and Tinogard DA:

GC headspace data after storage for benchmark actives: sunflower seed oil & CLA
Color and chemical stability data after storage
Rancimat test

What we aren’t interested in:

Antioxidants with tox issue, registration issue, colour issue or odour issue
Antioxidants that degrade during storage stability
Antioxidants that act as potent antioxidants in skin but have poor efficacy in preventing actives from oxidation during formulation storage stability

Novel measurements of skin physiology

Finding new ways to demonstrate product efficacy and discriminate between products

Background:

The ability to accurately and reproducibly measure changes in physiological parameters of the skin is key to being able to demonstrate product benefits.
Traditional measurement capabilities whilst robust and well-validated often do not allow for the discrimination of product effects.
Non-invasive measurements allow greater chances of inclusion in a clinical setting
Measurement of skin ageing and of disrupted epidermal skin health (e.g. dryness, sensitivity etc) are of particular interest.

Description:

The ability to make more detailed and discriminatory measurements – or more discriminatory analysis from existing measurements – would provide increased scope for testing in open settings
The non-invasive collection and analysis of biomarkers would be considered
Relevant measurements which can be related to parameters of skin physiology and product usage are sought.

Desired Outcome (include preferred collaboration types here) :

Provision of novel measurement capabilities which allow the demonstration of product efficacy and product discrimination.
Improved analytical methods, that can demonstrate product benefit, using data generated with current instruments (Visia, primos, cutometer, TWEL etc..) deployed in skin clinical studies.
Ideally non-invasive measurements
Transferrable capabilities which could be implemented in clinical settings i.e. does not rely on panellists attending a dedicated facility
Meaningful measurements/analysis which can be related to skin physiology and benefit areas.

What we aren’t interested in :

Invasive techniques
Non-discriminating measurements
Non-transferrable measurements which cannot be deployed at non-core facilities.
Measurements we already use
Measurements which cannot be related to skin physiology

Connect with us

We're always looking to connect with those who share an interest in a sustainable future.

Open Innovation

Bringing the best solutions to billions of consumers

Information on submitting a technical solution

How you can work with us

Latest challenges and wants

Submit a technical solution via our Open Innovation portal

Connect with us

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