Kenvue to bolster investment, R&D efforts in Shanghai
Kenvue's Shanghai site has been serving as an Asia Pacific production center and it continues to offer localized innovations for personal care and essential health such as oral care and pain relief.
Leading consumer health company Kenvue is determined to further its investment and research and development (R&D) efforts in Shanghai and China.
Gift Arpaporn Samabhandhu, president of Kenvue China, said she has witnessed Shanghai's growing determination and capacity to support the development of foreign companies in recent years.
"The city's latest action plan to optimize the business environment announced earlier this year continues to address the needs of foreign enterprises, and this further strengthens our confidence in taking root in Shanghai and driving growth in China," she said in an interview on Monday.
Gift also noted that as China's healthcare service places more emphasis on health-centered, rather than disease-based, approach, it fits well with the company's long-term aim and it will continue to provide science-backed products for customers.
Since completing its separation from Johnson & Johnson in 2023, the Kenvue Shanghai site has served as an Asia Pacific production center, and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines such as Tylenol, and personal healthcare items like Band-Aid and Listerine are exported to many overseas markets.
Earlier this year, the firm started the expansion of solid tablet manufacturing lines for OTC medicines as part of its 110-million yuan (US$16.3 million) China investment announced in 2023 to upgrade the supply chain. As a result, its manufacturing capacity is expected to double to 2 billion tablets each year upon completion.
"As a major global economic and trade center, as well as a transportation hub, Shanghai plays a pivotal role in the Asia-Pacific (region) and global supply chain, and we are a beneficiary of the city's market-oriented and law-based business environment," Gift added.
Kenvue has adopted a number of smart technologies at the Listerine production lines for higher efficiency as well as environmental friendly benefits.
In recent years, the firm has adapted to changing retail demands, and its products now cover nearly 2 million consumer goods or drug retailers and online channels in the country.
At the same time, it has also taken opportunities to educate consumers, boost health awareness, and promote a healthy lifestyle.
Aside from improving health literacy, offering localized and tailor-made products such as pain relief and children's nasal spray, enhancing access to quality health solutions by working with education institutions and organizations is also pivotal to Kenvue's local strategy to contribute to the Healthy China 2030 initiative.
Last year, it supported the China Oral Health Foundation to release the "Expert Consensus on Effective Use of Mouthwash For Oral Health Promotion" which provides more practical advice on improving oral health through daily practices like using mouthwash.
The Listerine production lines have been equipped with dozens of digital technologies for higher efficiency as well as environmental friendly benefits. The company has also adopted algorithms to better predict market demand and manage inventories.
In March, Kenvue's skin health brand Dabao set up a joint laboratory with the School of Life Sciences at Peking University to focus on the correlation between mitochondrial function and cell aging.
In China, the company has around 180 scientists in its R&D team and at the Shanghai site they stay close to the manufacturing lines for the best synergies in terms of consumer insights and new product launches.
Kenvue plans to continue introducing global innovations to China and develop customized health solutions for Chinese consumers.
