Alternative names R&D Port Sunlight | Type Research Country England Cost 3 million GBP | |
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Former names Port Sunlight Research Laboratory Similar Colworth House, Unilever House, Lever House, Wirral Peninsula, Lady Lever Art Gallery | ||
The Unilever Research & Development Port Sunlight Laboratory is the multinational consumer goods company Unilever's main research and development facility in the United Kingdom. It is located in Bebington, Merseyside.
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History
Unilever's predecessor companies conducted research in Bebington from 1890 and the first dedicated research building was built in 1911 by Lever Brothers. Unilever was formed in 1929, and until 1951 Port Sunlight was its main research laboratory worldwide. It created a research division in 1961. By 1970 its research division had 4,600 scientists with a budget of £32 million (current value £446.4 million), rising to £219 million in 1983 (current value £666.4 million), then £330 million in 1987 (current value £837.1 million). By the end of the 1980s there were around 400 scientists at Port Sunlight.
In the 1970s scientists at Port Sunlight discovered tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED), which allows clothes to be washed at lower temperatures.
Activities
Over 750 scientists are currently based at the laboratory. The current Laboratory Director is Dr Mike Parkington.
It conducts research for products including Dove, Sunsilk and Domestos.
Unilever operates similar research facilities in Vlaardingen, Colworth, Shanghai, Bangalore and Trumbull.