Vietnamese visitors feel like they are entering another dimension in the lobby of FrieslandCampina’s research and development centre in the Netherlands.

As one of the five largest dairy manufacturers in the world, FrieslandCampina Group, which owns the Dutch Lady brand, focuses on R&D.

It is the reason why the company has built this 20,000sq.m centre in Wageningen which is called food valley in the Netherlands.

It was opened in August 2013. It has labs spread over 4,600 square metres, a 2,500sqm plant for trials, a 3,800sq.m area for staff facilities like food courts and others, and offices covering 7,100 square metres.

Roel Van Neerbos, president consumer dairy, FrieslandCampina, said: “Europe is the birthplace of the cow milk industry, and the Netherlands is a centre of ground-breaking fundamental research in the field of dairy production.

“It is the dairy industry that dominates the food sector in the Netherlands and we consider ourselves fortunate to have our base here.”

Stepping through the main door, the centre’s unique and interesting attraction for visitors is an atrium rising five storeys with a white fluid shape originating at the reception desk and swirling three floors up into the air.

It is a symbol of the creativity of the group with 145 years of experience and heritage.

Behind the receptionist’s desk is a wall with hundreds of photo negatives of the company’s staff.

According to Ingrid Mol, director of research and development at FrieslandCampina, this wall stands for the company’s appreciation of every employee’s contribution to its development.

The centre currently has more than 400 workers, all with the same aspiration: looking for a way to link milk with consumers’ demand for nutrition.

Neerbos said: “The biggest challenge for us, therefore, is making affordable nutrition available to everyone on the planet. This is in line with FrieslandCampina’s mission of nourishing by nature.”

The centre has an area for visitors’ to get hands-on experience on the ground floor. The Experience Centre has models of drops of milk and dairy cows and shelves displaying FrieslandCampina’s products from 100 countries, and a kitchen.

In the kitchen, an inspiring space, staff and visitors from all over the world can enjoy the company’s nutritious products.

The 3D milk drops are a highlight of the centre. Visitors are told stories about nutrition and the ambition to optimize the nutritious benefits of milk from one of leading enterprises in the world.

At the centre and coffee shop on the second floor, visitors can see the trial plant’s operation through large glass walls. The plant is trialling new products before they are mass produced and distributed in the market.

Besides the centre in Wageningen, FrieslandCampina has another R&D centre in Singapore researching into nutritious drinks made from milk for newborn babies and young children in Asia.

Moreover, in every country, the group has R& D offices to change products to meet local consumers’ demands.

Improvement is an important part of the group’s development orientation. To enhance the improvement procedures and effectiveness, the group collaborates with Wageningen University and research institutes, suppliers, customers, and others.

“We have a single approach to guarantee the safety and quality of the entire chain, from the farm right through to distribution, from grass to glass” Neerbos said.

“We provide consumers with the same high quality of milk globally and there is no compromise.”