The Unilever Research Laboratorium was a nutrition and human biology research centre in South Holland, owned by Unilever, and since November 2019, has been a private science park.

History Construction At the time of construction in 1956, Vlaardingen was the third-busiest port in the Netherlands, situated on the Nieuwe Maas.Times Tuesday, June 26, 1956 page 7

On 14 February 1945, a neighbouring Unilever factory was set up as a V-1 launching site, with another site at Ypenburg, on the coast. The site was consequently attacked by RAF Typhoon aircraft on 23 March 1945.Terror from the Sky: The Doodlebug War, page 314 These were some of the last V-1 missiles launched against England.

The neighbouring factory closed in 2008. Research by Unilever in the Netherlands occurred during the war at Zwijndrecht, Netherlands.A Century of Fluid Mechanics in The Netherlands, page 65

Opening The site was officially opened in November 1956 by Willem Drees, the Dutch prime minister. Another research site was at Bahrenfeld in Germany.The Scotsman Friday 26 April 1957, page 3Times Friday April. 26 1957, page 15

The site presented the Unilever Research Prize for over 60 years when owned by Unilever Benelux.

Current site On 6 October 2016, Unilever announced that the site would close. The site closed in November 2019 and is now a private science park.Current site

Research In 1968, the centre found the protein miraculin, as well as researchers at the Florida State University College of Human Sciences.New Scientist 9 May 1974, page 301 Other work made by Henk Van der Wel into the biochemistry of sweetness sensing was published in Chemical Senses.New Scientist 19 June 1986 page 54

By genetically-modifying a bacterium, the genes for making thaumatin were added, in 1980.Times Tuesday, December 30, 1980, page 10

Visits On 1 April 1969, a new laboratory was opened by Prince Claus of the Netherlands.

On 5 December 2016 Martijn van Dam, State Secretary for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, visited.

Former employees David Adriaan van Dorp, in 1967 worked with University College CardiffTimes Thursday November 23, 1967, page 12

See also Monell Chemical Senses Center

References