The focus this time round will be skin care, building on IMB’s expertise in skin biology research, and the cosmetics giant believes that together with the ethnically diverse population in Singapore, it complements its interest in understanding human skin diversity.
This new project relates to the pair’s first partnership in 2010, which aimed to reconstruct Asian skin from cultured cells.
Building on past success
After encouraging results from this project, L'Oréal Research & Innovation (R&I) decided to open an Advanced Research Centre in Biopolis, which currently houses eight scientists.
L’Oréal are now expanding their collaborations with IMB, BMRC's Skin Biology Cluster Platform and beyond to the biomedical research community in Biopolis and Singapore.
"We are more than happy with the results we are getting with IMB and thanks to the local scientific and technological expertise in Singapore, we have extended our range and network of collaborations and widened the new centre's field of research to ‘Skin biology’", said Stéphane Ortiz, head of L'Oréal's Asia R&I.
"There are talented young scientists in Singapore, professors from around the world and a variety of laboratories, research institutions, start-ups, universities of all sizes and disciplines. These are ideal situations for converting scientific concepts into prototypes for products or evaluation methods. Without doubt, Singapore offers an outstanding environment for piloting science-driven innovation."
Advancement of skin science
The Lancome brand owner says the decision was made to fit into its strategy to foster relations with local centres of scientific excellence and internationalize its research to be closer to consumers in support of its strategy to gain one billion new consumers over the next 10 to 15 years.
IMB shares the Paris-headquartered company’s enthusiasm for the deal, and believes it could lead to an advancement of skin science for the benefit of skin care.
“This will allow us to tap on each other's strengths, to better understand Asian skin, which will bring many applications, from personal care to healthcare solutions,” says professor Birgitte Lane, executive director of IMB.
“We welcome L'Oréal into the lively scientific community at Biopolis. They join a growing number of companies bringing their research into Biopolis, and will strengthen the healthy cluster of public-private open research partnerships that is developing here."