Hygiene and health company Essity is investing in a new global centre for research and development, in Alsace, France, dedicated to tissue hygiene products. The state-of-the-art facility will focus on tissue to meet the evolving demands of branded tissue in both consumer and professional hygiene markets.

Essity is continuously developing new methods to provide the market with sustainable and user-friendly products. The company's current R&D centre in Kunheim, France, has filed 25 patents in recent years for ground-breaking innovations such as Lotus Aqua Tube (flushable toilet roll core), Lotus and Okay Sans Tube (coreless toilet paper), Tork SmartOne (dispenses one sheet at a time) and paper hygiene products based on alternative fibres.

"Essity's research and development is re-shaping paper making to contribute to a more sustainable and circular society, while improving people's hygiene and health. The new global R&D centre in France, will enable us to continue to develop innovative new paper hygiene products and solutions that meet the needs and high expectations of customers and consumers," said Magnus Groth, president and CEO of Essity.

The new R&D centre, strategically located near the current facility, ensures the retention of Essity's more than 80 experts and engineers working there today. Essity aims to create a larger, more efficient centre equipped to address future challenges.

In addition to France, Essity has R&D centres in Mexico, Sweden, Germany and in the US, led by the company's global unit focusing on brands, innovation and sustainability. In 2023, Essity invested SEK 1.7bn (approximately 1.2 per cent of net sales) in research and development, the company said in a press release.

Essity is the world's largest supplier of hygiene solutions in professional hygiene with the globally leading Tork brand. Essity is also the world's third largest supplier of consumer tissue, with a presence primarily in Europe and Latin America. Essity's brands such as Lotus, Tempo, Zewa, Cushelle, Plenty and retailer brands lead the European market, while Regio and Familia are key players in Latin America.