Evonik Opens Beauty Science and Innovation Center in Shanghai

Evonik has inaugurated its first Beauty Science and Innovation Center in Asia at the Evonik Shanghai Innovation Park in China. The new facility is designed to accelerate the development of next-generation beauty and personal care solutions by combining biotechnology-driven ingredient innovation, formulation expertise, and advanced testing capabilities.

The center strengthens Evonik’s support for beauty and personal care brands across China and the wider Asian market, enabling faster product development and closer collaboration with customers. The investment comes as China, the world's second-largest cosmetics market, continues to grow rapidly and become increasingly competitive.

“Innovation in beauty today is increasingly global and interconnected. With our new center in Shanghai, we complement our leading global position, extensive expertise and broad portfolio, while deepening our presence in a market that is setting the pace for many global beauty trends,” said Ute Schick, head of the Care Solutions business line at Evonik.

The facility includes several specialized platforms. The Asia RD&I Platform focuses on ingredient innovation and biotechnology development, covering areas such as enzymatic esterification, polyglycerol esters, and functional ingredients. The Asia Personal Care Applied Innovation Lab supports customers throughout the product development process, from trend analysis and formulation design to efficacy testing and product validation.

In addition, the Chinese laboratory of the global Evonik Skin Institute is dedicated to researching the unique characteristics of Asian skin. Using advanced technologies, including 3D skin models, skin imaging, and biomarker analysis, the institute helps provide scientific validation and performance claims for cosmetic products.

The center also features a Customer Experience Center that offers a collaborative environment for product demonstrations, scientific discussions, and customer engagement. Through this investment, Evonik aims to expand its locally developed beauty solutions portfolio and help brands meet evolving consumer demands across Asia.

“This new center brings together multiple innovation capabilities in one place. In a fast-evolving and highly competitive market like China, this integrated approach allows us to translate scientific insights into market-ready solutions with greater speed and precision. Our center reinforces Shanghai’s position as a key innovation hub within Evonik’s global R&D network,” said Fuliang Xia, President of Evonik Greater China.

Source: Evonik