Medical

RB creates 200 new jobs in Hull as £105m Science and Innovation Centre opens

Wednesday 4 December 2019, 12:30 PM

3 Minute Read

RB employs 1,400 people in Hull, producing well-known brands including Nurofen, Lemsip and Dettol

Global health giant RB has opened its new £105m Science and Innovation Centre in Hull, creating 200 new jobs.

The S&I Centre, at RB’s site in Dansom Lane in Hull, will act as a global innovation hub for household products including Nurofen and Strepsils.

RB, with roots in Hull which date back to 1840 with the creation of Reckitts, has also committed £95m to significantly upgrade its manufacturing facilities in the city.

The total £200m investment is designed at putting RB at the forefront of consumer health innovation.

Laxman Narasimhan, CEO at 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.”

The decision to locate the new centre in Hull followed a comprehensive review which considered other centres across the globe.

Research and development teams for seven of RB’s biggest brands are based in Hull.

The company employs 1,400 people in the city, and more than 300 million consumer units of well-known brands including Nurofen, Lemsip, Dettol and E45 are manufactured at its site each year.

Over half of the company’s Hull-based employees work in science, and almost half of the global R&D workforce is based in Hull.

Dr Bruce Charlesworth, who heads up the Hull site at RB, said: “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.”

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.

RB’s history in Hull dates back to 1840, when Isaac Reckitt moved to Hull and employed 25 people at his business.

Today – after several rebrands and a merger with Dutch company Benckiser NV – RB is a global name with facilities across the world.

As well as the significant investment, RB has partnered with Hull York Medical School and the University of Hull to offer a brand-new MSc in Pharmacology and Drug Development.

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

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

Press Kit

To obtain a copy of our press kit, please message us using the adjacent contact form.

Contact

Thank you, we will be in contact shortly.

AMRC Sheffield
Boeing
Bott
University of Wolves Racing
Mach Exhibition

Are you enjoying this article?

Sign up to our email newsletter and don't miss out on more articles like this.

* indicates required

Do you give consent for MTDMFG to send you communications?

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails.