The Estée Lauder Companies was recognized as one of the first large enterprise open innovation centers in Minhang. It commended the winning companies of the first "Estée Lauder Innovation Future" Innovation Contest and continued to advance its commitment to local innovation.
March 26, 2026, Shanghai — Today, The Estée Lauder Companies was recognized as one of the first batch of Large Enterprise Open Innovation Centers in Minhang District, and an unveiling ceremony was held. At the event, the award ceremony for the first “Innovate for the Future” Innovation Contest in China by The Estée Lauder Companies, which is dedicated to promoting local innovation, was also held to honor the winning enterprises, demonstrating the company's commitment to strengthening its innovation network and consolidating its leading position in the high - end beauty industry.
Wu Qiang, Deputy Secretary of the Minhang District Party Committee and District Mayor; Fabrizio Freda, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Estée Lauder Companies; Fan Jiayu, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Estée Lauder Companies China; René Lammers, Executive Vice President and Chief Research and Innovation Officer of The Estée Lauder Companies; and representatives of partners attended the event. This is an important milestone in the company's innovation and development process in China, highlighting its commitment to deepening its local layout and promoting open innovation.
Unveiling Ceremony of The Estée Lauder (China) Open Innovation Center
Innovation and R & D are at the core of The Estée Lauder Companies' global strategy. The China Innovation and R & D Center located in Minhang, Shanghai, is the company's first comprehensive R & D center globally that integrates research, clinical trials, formulation, and packaging engineering. Relying on the center's in - depth understanding of Chinese and Asian consumers and continuous in - depth cooperation with local universities, research institutions, and medical institutions, Shanghai has become a key hub in The Estée Lauder Companies' global R & D network.
As the core mechanism for promoting open innovation in Shanghai, the Large Enterprise Open Innovation Center program aims to strengthen the cooperation between leading enterprises and the science and technology innovation ecosystem. Through policy support and ecological linkage, it accelerates the transformation of scientific and technological achievements and industrial integration. This year, the program was launched in Minhang District for the first time, building an efficient innovation cooperation bridge between large enterprises and small and medium - sized enterprises.
The Estée Lauder Companies' successful inclusion in the first batch of recognized lists reflects the Minhang District Government's recognition of the company's long - term continuous investment in local R & D and ecological collaboration. Relying on this platform, The Estée Lauder Companies will further connect regional innovation resources, upgrade the service capabilities of the local innovation platform, deepen collaborative innovation with local startups and emerging technology companies, and promote the continuous development of the beauty industry.
Wu Qiang, Deputy Secretary of the Minhang District Party Committee and District Mayor, said in his speech that he hopes that in the future, The Estée Lauder (China) Open Innovation Center can fully play the dual roles of an “innovation incubator” and a “resource connector”.
Fabrizio Freda, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Estée Lauder Companies, said: “China is an important engine for the company's global innovation. Being recognized as one of the first batch of Large Enterprise Open Innovation Centers in Minhang District demonstrates our firm commitment to long - term cooperation with the dynamic Chinese innovation community. From startups to top academic institutions, we will continue to accelerate breakthrough innovation by strengthening partnerships in the ecosystem and contribute to shaping the future of high - end beauty.”
The event also honored the winning enterprises of the first “Innovate for the Future” Innovation Contest in China by The Estée Lauder Companies. The “Innovate for the Future” Innovation Contest is an important practice for the company to deepen open innovation and connect with local startup forces.
The first - edition contest focused on three key tracks: “Reshaping the Future of Products”, “Unleashing the New Potential of AI”, and “Revolutionizing and Enhancing the Entire Value Chain”. A multi - dimensional evaluation system combining technological innovation, demand matching, and solution maturity was established. More than 400 companies participated in the contest. After strict evaluation, 9 winning enterprises were selected from the 3 tracks.
Notably, several winning enterprises of the first - edition contest have initiated in - depth cooperation with The Estée Lauder Companies to promote the practical application of cutting - edge technologies.
Among them, the champion team Qingran New Care in the “Reshaping the Future of Products” track stood out with its bio - computing combined with precise fermentation technology. They integrated the concept and design of drug development into the R & D of personal care raw materials and were highly recognized by the review committee. Currently, the two parties have officially launched cooperation to explore diverse application scenarios in the company's brands.
The winning team Yixi Technology in the “Unleashing the New Potential of AI” track has reached in - depth cooperation with The Estée Lauder China Innovation and R & D Center, and relevant research results have been successively published in professional journals and industry conferences. It is worth mentioning that the relevant paper “Big Data Analysis of One Million Chinese Pores and the Correlation of Environmental Factors Based on an Artificial Intelligence - based Image Processing Model” won the first - prize for outstanding papers at the 16th China Cosmetics Science and Technology Conference Academic Symposium in 2025, highlighting the great potential of the “Innovate for the Future” project.
Fan Jiayu, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Estée Lauder Companies China, said: “Driving transformative innovation is at the core of The Estée Lauder Companies' strategic vision of ‘Reshaping the Beauty Landscape’. The ‘Innovate for the Future’ Innovation Contest and being recognized as one of the first batch of Large Enterprise Open Innovation Centers in Minhang District enable us to deepen local cooperation and accelerate the implementation of cutting - edge scientific and technological innovation achievements. Through these efforts, we will continue to enhance China's position in the global innovation network and bring a brand - new high - end beauty experience to consumers.”