Suntory World Research Center

Since its founding, Suntory has been devoted to the creation of new value through the promotion of research and development activities, based on the idea that strengthening the research and development division is essential to continued group growth and advancement.

The founder, Shinjiro Torii, established a product testing laboratory in 1919 that was a research institute under the president’s direct control. Suntory’s second president, Keizo Saji, who was a chemist, was also passionate about research and in 1946 he established the Institute of Food Chemistry. It was a research foundation and an unusual endeavor for a private corporation at that time. In 1973, the Chuo Research Laboratory was opened with a focus on expanding research on life science. It became a base for research and technology development for the advancement of basic research, new product development, and new businesses.

In May 2015, the Suntory World Research Center (SWR) was established based on the theme, "New research, new creations every day". By engaging in continuous global knowledge interactions, Suntory’s basic research and technology will create the seeds of new businesses and new products which will enable Suntory to give its customers new exceptional experiences.