Mike Engler, senior vice-president and general manager Pepsico Worldwide Flavours, with Mary Goode, vice-president Technical Services, Pepsico, and Richard Bruton, TD, Ireland's Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. Photo by Michael M
PepsiCo has today opened its new R&D centre for next-generation products in Little Island, Co Cork. The food and beverage giant has invested €10m into its Irish facility.
The company said today at the official opening that the new R&D facility would allow it to pioneer new next-generation products to meet changing consumer needs.
Right now, PepsiCo’s R&D centre in Little Island employs 18 people. These employees have PhD, MSc or degrees in food science, chemistry and engineering.
Overall, PepsiCo employs 600 people in Ireland across a range of business activities, including manufacturing, finance, business information and shared services.
Job opportunities
Ireland’s Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton, TD, was at the opening of the centre today, along with Simon Coveney TD, the Minister for Agriculture, Marine and Food.
Mike Engler, senior vice-president and general manager, PepsiCo Worldwide Flavours, pointed to the job-creation opportunities today in Cork.
“The ongoing success of our operations in Ireland represents a springboard for business expansion, with the potential for additional job creation,” he said.
PepsiCo Ireland started its operations in Little Island in 1974 to manufacture beverage concentrates for European markets. Then, in 2003, it opened a €100m manufacturing and services facility in Carrigaline, Co Cork. In 2006, PepsiCo set up a regional R&D centre and PepsiCo’s Worldwide Flavours (PWF) headquarters in Ireland.
