Research partnerships and public-private partnerships
Partnerships are key to our success at Nestlé. We work closely with a wide range of academic institutions and public organizations worldwide.
Our partnerships are based on the Nestlé Policy on Public-Private Science & Research Partnerships (pdf, 1Mb), which promotes academic freedom, neutrality, ethics and integrity.
Some of our key partnerships
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EPFL We have a long-term relationship with EPFL. As well as being two founding partners of the Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley, we fund and collaborate on a range of research collaborations.
This includes sustainable packaging materials, artificial intelligence, robotics and food materials science, as well as research into cellular nutrition and brain health. -
ETH Zürich We sponsor a range of research in robotics, food science and agricultural sciences at ETH Zürich and work with the institution to fund post-doctoral fellowships under the Future Food Initiative.
In the field of food technology and nutrition, Nestlé is co-funding research and teaching, as well as a new professorship.
Through a major research program, we're exploring interdisciplinary solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change, while increasing nutritional quality and yield in dairy and crop farming. -
Technical University of Munich Our long-standing partnership with Technical University Munich (TUM) supports food science projects related to aroma, taste and texture, as well as plant-based nutrition, analytical sciences, artificial intelligence and robotics. -
Catholic University of Santiago de Chile We fund a PhD program of five projects related to nutritious ingredients from marine and terrestrial origins in South America. We also explore technological innovation of shelf-stable food products.
The program is complemented by student innovation challenges and other R&D projects.
Fostering education and young talent development
Many of our experts are helping to train the next generation of scientists through visiting, adjunct and honorary professorships at key partner universities. Around 50 R&D employees teach regularly across multiple disciplines at universities worldwide.
Nestlé also supports the European Master’s in Food Studies, a two-year MSc Food Technology program led by Wageningen University & Research (WUR). Participants study modules at four top universities: WUR, University College Cork, AgroParisTech and Lund University. In their second year, students complete a nine-month placement with a food industry partner, one of which is Nestlé.
With the University of Lausanne (UNIL), we have a framework agreement that allows students from the university’s Faculty of Biology and Medicine to obtain their PhD or MD-PhD there, while completing their project at Nestlé Research.
Since 2023, we have organized the Science & Technology Seminars Program. These free seminars complement students’ university studies with the goal of closing the gap between academic work and the application of science in real-life conditions, while considering the complex innovation environment. With more than 20 partner universities, we reach thousands of students with up-to-date know-how and provide them with the opportunity to connect with speakers from leading industry firms like Cargill, Givaudan and Bühler Group.
Partnerships on affordable nutrition in Sub Saharan Africa
As the world faces unprecedented challenges regarding food security and climate change, it is crucial to continue building scientific and technological competences related to food and nutrition across Africa.
As part of our Academic Alliances initiative, we are strengthening our scientific engagement with local universities and research institutes in Sub-Saharan Africa. This includes collaborations on various research projects with nine universities in Sub Saharan Africa, such as the University of Ghana and the University of Pretoria, while sponsoring PhDs and Master's theses in the field of affordable nutrition.
We also have collaborations with various universities in other areas such as engineering and packaging. Students from sub-Saharan Africa can embark on internships in our regional innovation center in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, our local experimental farms or in one of our other global R&D centers.
Nestlé International Nutrition Symposium
We're exploring scientific perspectives on a more informal basis too. To exchange scientific views on the link between diets and health, more than 50 distinguished scientists from around the world gathered at the 2024 Nestlé International Nutrition Symposium. 2024 marked the 20th anniversary of the very first Nestlé International Nutrition Symposium held at Nestlé Research in Lausanne, Switzerland, with the theme "Rethinking the impact of nutrition on health: From nutrients to meals to balanced diets."
Scientific Advisory Board
Our Scientific Advisory Board is an independent advisory panel of world-renowned academics and thought leaders with expertise in nutrition, food and health science. The board advises Nestlé on the company's long-term scientific strategy. The SAB is also a platform where Nestlé researchers and external experts can share knowledge and insights on scientific topics of shared interest.
