Nestle Skin Health To Open 10 Innovation Hubs

Nestlé Skin Health will open a global network of 10 innovation hubs around the world that will serve as a forum to develop solutions and techniques that will promote a life course of healthy skin through medical investigation, education and application of skin health technologies. Based in Lausanne, Switzerland, Nestlé Skin Health is focused on enhancing quality of life by delivering science-based solutions for the health of skin, hair and nails. Galderma is the operating company of Nestlé Skin Health.

The initiative is a response to the expected rise in skin health needs as the importance of skin health in the well-being of a rapidly growing aging population has become paramount in the context of healthcare and modern society.

The Nestlé Skin Health Investigation, Education and Longevity Development (SHIELD) network will comprise unique innovation hubs for engaging with healthcare professionals from the fields of dermatology, general medicine, aging, nursing and technology.

These hubs will provide an environment where these professionals can interact with innovative new products and technologies, working toward better solutions for skin health, according to Nestlé. The first location is planned to open in New York in 2015, followed by Hong Kong and São Paulo and then elsewhere in North America, Asia and Europe.

“This is an important opportunity for skin health research in light of rising skin challenges that result particularly from our enhanced longevity and the rapid population aging phenomenon emerging in country after country around the globe,” said Humberto C. Antunes, chief executive of Nestlé Skin Health.

The SHIELD initiative is aligned with the needs identified in the recently released consensus statement of the 2014 Manchester Summit on Active Aging and Healthy Skin, which calls for action and innovation in skin health as a path to wellness, social value and economic growth.

“At the Nestlé Skin Health Investigation, Education and Longevity Development hubs, scientists, investigators and experts will have master-level interactions facilitating the convergence of the latest products, technology, and disciplines related to skin health,” said Didier Leclercq, managing director for the SHIELD network. “With a focus on education and training, the SHIELD network will provide an environment in which diverse fields, including biology, anatomy, emerging trends and social sciences will be brought together and explored.”

The Nestlé Skin Health Investigation, Education and Longevity Development network will be launched in partnership with the Global Coalition on Aging (GCOA), a global business strategy group focused on the economic and social implications of population aging.

More proactive skin care can help enable a healthier skin as people age, supporting a more active aging throughout the life course and therefore extending the quality of life and well-being at all ages, according to Nestlé.