Structure & Locations An open research environment that stimulates free thinking
We operate a center for research that simultaneously realizes a free environment to concentrate on research and development and bringing our ideas to the market. With the goal of bringing smiles to our customers' faces, we conduct research that brings forth surprise and delight.
Research and development from a long-term perspective with a view to customer value
The Suntory Global Innovation Center is tasked with conducting core technological research for the Suntory Group. While placing emphasis on fundamental research, we focus our efforts on social implementation from a long-term perspective. Our research themes are selected based on how they will help our customers live joyful and vibrant lives in five to ten years. We take on challenging endeavors as we aim to create new value that will contribute to our lives of tomorrow.
Three-pillar research and development framework aiming for sustainable innovation and scientific pursuit
We have adopted a framework that simultaneously promotes research and development based on the three pillars of the Core Business Domain, Novel Business Domain, and Fundamental Research Domain. We engage in research that supports the dramatic growth of existing businesses such as non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages and health and wellness products, research that aims to create new markets with a view to solving social issues, and fundamental research that aims to achieve the world's highest level of scientific results. Through these endeavors, we are challenging ourselves to create sustainable innovation and pursue science.
New domains brought forth from intellectual exchange among diverse researchers ("kyoso")
Of these three pillars, the focus of the Novel Business Domain is on creating new markets, placing emphasis on generating new ideas and value through collaboration among researchers across diverse fields, as well as with external partners and internal business development teams. The ideas that emerge from these opportunities for "kyoso" blossom into new research domains and business prospects that transcend existing frameworks, and lead to the resolution of social issues and the creation of next-generation markets.
Innovations brought forth at two sites located east and west
We have sites in Keihanna Science City (official name: Kansai Science City) in Kyoto Prefecture and Odaiba in Tokyo. Each site takes advantage of the unique characteristics of its individual environment and human network to play different roles as they engage in research, technology, and business development. From deepening fundamental research to acquiring market-based insight, we leverage our diverse environment to promote collaboration with researchers around the globe.
Kyoto｜Suntory World Research Center
A place where knowledge comes together and new ideas are born.
Keihanna is an academic city spanning the three prefectures of Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara. In 2015, that Kyoto area hosted the establishment of the Suntory World Research Center. This site houses the Safety Science Institute (Suntory Holdings Limited), the Institute for Science of Life (Suntory Wellness Limited), the Bioorganic Research Institute (Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences), and other organizations to form a cross-group research structure. In this open space that encourages the intellectual exchange, researchers from both Japan and overseas come and go on a daily basis, letting their diverse ideas resonate with each other to create new value.
Tokyo｜Suntory World Headquarters
A site for connecting the realities of consumers and business to research
Located in Tokyo, Suntory World Headquarters is a site that takes advantage of its location near the city center to incorporate consumer insights and front-line business perspectives into research and development. For successful business development, it is essential to repeatedly verify value and modify the direction of research using deep insight based on customer feedback as a starting point. Our business development team aims to realize results that bring new value to society and people's lives by using this site as a hub to link research findings with an understanding of markets.
