China's Yili taps European dairy innovation to drive growth

Ignatius Man-Yau Szeto, assistant president of Yili Group, said over the years, Yili has established a global innovation network spanning Asia, Europe, and Oceania, with deep investment in nutrition, breast milk research, dairy processing and food safety.

WAGENINGEN, the Netherlands, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Nestled in the heart of Europe's agricultural and food science hub, the Yili Innovation Center Europe has become a vital bridge for scientific collaboration between China and Europe in the dairy sector.

Established in 2014 by China's leading dairy producer, Yili Group, the center is located in the renowned university town of Wageningen, globally recognized for its excellence in life sciences.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Carolien Van Loo, head of the innovation center, emphasized strengthening partnerships with European research institutions and startups. Wageningen, with its rich research ecosystem and culture of open collaboration, offers fertile ground for advancing the future of food science, she said.

Van Loo joined the center nine years ago as a senior nutrition scientist. Her research focuses on how nutritional components influence human health, particularly in areas such as cognitive function and immune response.

She has led key projects on human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), probiotics, lactoferrin, and variations in breast milk composition, several of which have been applied in Yili's infant formula products.

Van Loo is particularly optimistic about the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools in food innovation, highlighting AI's ability to significantly accelerate product development cycles.

Ignatius Man-Yau Szeto, assistant president of Yili Group, said over the years, Yili has established a global innovation network spanning Asia, Europe, and Oceania, with deep investment in nutrition, breast milk research, dairy processing and food safety.

"Innovation is the engine of progress in the dairy industry," Szeto told Xinhua, stressing that Yili's broader innovation strategy places consumer needs and internationalization at its core.

"Europe is a leader in dairy, with advanced systems and strong market maturity," Szeto noted, emphasizing the importance of Europe to Yili's international strategy. He added that Wageningen University is part of the Netherlands' Food Valley and a global leader in agri-food research, this environment allows Yili to tap into world-class expertise and technologies.

Over the past 11 years, the Yili Innovation Center Europe has delivered achievements in fields such as breast milk analysis, probiotics development, cheese innovation, sugar reduction, food safety, and AI-driven product development, and many of these advances have been integrated into Yili's commercial offerings, including its infant formula, yogurt and cheese products, Szeto said.