The company expects to grow the health research and development staff by up to 40 per cent in the next three years.Over 100 new jobs are to be created by global consumer goods business Reckitt Benckiser in Hull as part of a £100m investment plan by creating a new global centre of excellence for consumer health goods in the region.
The company, which was rebranded as RB earlier this year, expects to grow the health research and development staff by up to 40 per cent in the next three years, with the firm already employing around 300.
The Chancellor George Osborne announced the plans for the new centre in July, and the plans have been expanded upon by the firm. The new centre has yet to gain planning approval.
Sharon James, the senior global research and development vice president of Reckitt Benckiser, said: “The whole point of the centre for scientific excellence is to create this environment for innovation and entrepreneurship.”
“We looked at a whole range of criteria, from availability of talent, the environment for intellectual property and breadth and depth of skills.”
The centre will incorporate laboratories and testing chambers for developing the firm’s health range, including products such as Lemsip and Neurofen.
RB has suggested that all the new jobs are likely to be for graduates or higher-skilled workers but stressed it would have a knock-on effect for the regional economy.
James added: “We have an ambition to be higher. We had grown to the point where we needed to make that additional investment.”
“We’re focused on dealing with a lot of local companies as well and hopefully that will have an impact.
“There will be opportunities for the whole spectrum of development. Bringing new, bright graduates into the business is extremely important for building for the future.”
