Inside Henkel’s GCC Innovation Ecosystem
Innovation at Henkel in the GCC at a Glance
More than a concept, innovation is a commitment at Henkel. As a global leader across Adhesive Technologies and Consumer Brands, innovation sits at the heart of everything we do. From developing sustainable solutions to pioneering new technologies that redefine industries, our focus remains firmly on creating value for our customers, consumers, and society at large.
Innovation with Purpose
Henkel's innovation approach focuses on superior performance, sustainability, and digital transformation. With over 5,000 R&D professionals worldwide, the company maintains significant investment to advance product quality through scientific expertise and entrepreneurial spirit.
Our global R&D ecosystem is built on a connected network of innovation hubs that drive breakthrough technologies, sustainable solutions, and high-impact product development. Across state-of-the-art facilities equipped with interactive customer experience zones and dynamic knowledge-sharing platforms, our teams collaborate closely to turn ideas into market-ready innovations. This structure empowers us to respond swiftly to local market needs through open innovation and close partnerships across the entire value chain.
Henkel’s innovation strategy goes beyond global hubs; it’s rooted in regional excellence too. In Dubai, we operate three dedicated R&D and Innovation centers that serve as key drivers of both local relevance and global impact. These state-of-the-art facilities address specific market needs across the Middle East while contributing to Henkel’s broader innovation agenda. Their presence highlights Dubai’s strategic role in our worldwide R&D network.
Let’s take a closer look at the three innovation powerhouses shaping our future from Dubai: the LOCTITE® Technical Center, the Bright Ideas Co-Creation Center, and the Henkel Consumer Brands Innovation Lab and Center.
LOCTITE® Technical Center
LOCTITE® Technical Center in Dubai demonstrates Henkel's commitment to customers through its function as a B2B facility for enhancing customer experience. Distributors and customers benefit from customized training programs that blend theory and practice, allowing them to test LOCTITE® solutions directly on their own parts and processes. This collaborative approach turns customers into co-creators. It strengthens our innovation network and builds lasting partnerships.
Complementing this, Düsseldorf's Innovation and Customer Center (ICD) functions as Henkel's global innovation hub, where over 650 experts utilize cutting-edge digital tools and cloud-based platforms to accelerate product development. The center features a 24/7 automated laboratory that converts data into actionable insights, significantly shortening innovation cycles. Connected to Henkel's worldwide operations, the ICD adapts technologies to regional requirements while offering a space for interactive demonstrations and collaborative solution-building with customers and partners.
Bright Ideas Co-Creation Center
The Dubai-based Bright Ideas consumer research facility operates alongside centers in Trumbull, USA, and Düsseldorf, Germany. The co-creation center is managed by Henkel’s R&D Consumer Technical Insights (CTI) team and bridges technology with consumer needs. Designed to feel like home, the space replicates everyday usage scenarios with fully equipped kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry machines to create an authentic environment for testing. Our consumer-centric approach combines a variety of research methodologies including prototypes testing, in-home immersions, exploratory interviews, performance perception understandings, mini group discussions, home-placement tests, and creative co-creation sessions. This iterative process ensures products are refined until they meet consumer expectations, supporting consumer centricity and addressing regional preferences through authentic insights.
Henkel Consumer Brands Innovation Lab and Center
Henkel Consumer Brands’ Innovation Lab and Center in Dubai functions as a comprehensive R&D facility developing, validating, and optimizing consumer products. It also creates impactful demonstrations that evolve into marketing content. The lab replicates local consumer experiences by simulating regional conditions, like testing laundry formulas in Cairo's hard water on typical local stains while considering regional washing habits.
Serving Middle East and Africa, the facility combines scientific expertise with local insights across our home care, beauty, packaging, and laundry products to ensure regionally tailored solutions. Packaging undergoes extensive testing for durability and safety, including specialized UV protection and mechanical performance.
The home-care laboratory focuses on solving real-world cleaning challenges by testing against both international and local or regionally relevant stains. From foam durability to stain-removal power, every formula is refined to deliver consistent results. Meanwhile for laundry care, we developed an advanced AI-powered tool that analyzes data from previous wash tests to predict new product performance and compare different formulations, enabling faster R&D decisions.
In Beauty Care, our products undergo rigorous testing to ensure stability, safety, and long-lasting performance. We also develop solutions tailored to specific regional hair types, such as textured hair, with consumer feedback guiding each step from prototype to final product.
A Legacy of Innovation, A Future of Impact
Since Fritz Henkel established the company in 1876, Henkel has consistently pioneered scientific solutions to everyday challenges. Over nearly 150 years, it has evolved from a small enterprise into a global innovation leader driven by purpose and sustainability.
Through its worldwide innovation network, Henkel continues to invest in research, co-creation, and advanced technologies that shape industries. From smart development labs to real-life consumer testing environment, we turn ideas into solutions that improve daily life.
Innovation remains fundamental to Henkel's identity, with a commitment to creating impactful, inclusive, and sustainable solutions across all products and partnerships. We are shaping the future while staying true to our pioneering legacy.
