Calling all Ice Cream innovators
You are invited to innovate with our ice cream team. If you have bold and disruptive ideas we’d love to hear from you!
Partnering with purpose
There’s no one size fits all approach to our partnerships. Whether you’re an established supplier, a start-up, an academic, a designer or an individual inventor, we want to hear from you.
Our valued partners form an innovation ecosystem. It connects us together to work transparently for the same goal and sharing the success.
We are always on the lookout of purpose-led innovators to partner with us and make a difference together.
Our latest challenges
Please select a category to see the specific challenges in each.
How it works
We have a number of technical challenges that we cannot unlock alone, so we are looking for partners that would like to solve them collectively. These challenges change regularly and are updated on this page. Responding these challenges is easy as 1, 2, 3 and 4:
- Find a challenge that your technology could contribute to solving
- Submit your details through the form linked to the challenge
- Our partner agency Yet2 will process your submission and provide you feedback
- If your submission is successful, you will continue your discussions with Unilever
If you don’t see a challenge that you feel your innovation could support but would still like to discuss a partnership, you can also make a general technical submission through Yet2 here.
Will my submission be confidential?
Our Innovation Ecosystem partner, Yet2, will screen all submissions prior to passing successful ones to the scientists and technologists at Unilever. We only need high level information in your initial submission and will not ask for any details that compromise confidentiality.
If your submission is passed to us by Yet2, we will establish a separate confidentiality agreement with you before asking you to share any confidential information.
If you have any further questions, read our innovation ecosystem FAQs.
Unlocking the change
The collaboration between our experts and partners powers the development of innovations behind our products. Here are just some of the recent achievements of our innovation ecosystem.
Dove Body Wash
The best of innovating in ecosystems comes together in the loved Dove Body Wash. Its moisturising and caring formulation is a result of clinically-proven ingredients developed together with partners. Iconic bottles are made of 100% recycled plastic – another achievement enable by our vast network of likeminded businesses.
Omo Dilute at Home
Omo dilute at home is a great example of how technical breakthroughs can deliver sustainability without compromises. A radically re-designed product allows consumers to buy an easy-to-carry concentrated refill in store and then simply dilute this at home into their ‘keeper’ 3 litre bottle. A world-changing innovation that we couldn’t have done without partnership.
Magnum Recycled Plastic tubs
The pleasing crack of chocolate is the trademark of the iconic Magnum sticks. Creating the same indulgent experience for Magnum pints was a challenge that was solved together with our partners, for the joy of the ice cream lovers around the world. Packaged in another collaborative innovation: recycled plastic tubs. We’re the first major food brand pioneering the technology.
Laundry capsules with recycled carbon
A laundry capsule made from industrial carbon emissions may sound like a pipe dream but it’s the future, thanks to a collaboration with two of our partners. The innovative shift utilises biotechnologies to make a surfactant – a critical ingredient in many household and cleaning products – with recycled carbon. This is now launched in China, and it’s part of our Clean Future strategy.
Share your technical solution
If your innovation doesn’t match a specific requirement, you can still share it as a general technical solution.
Share an idea
We love ideas. If you have one you’d like us to hear, then visit our Contact us page to tell us about it.
The Unilever Foundry
Are you a startup looking to disrupt? Join the Unilever Foundry to accelerate through collaboration.