Natura partners with universities and research institutes to incorporate cutting-edge knowledge into products.
DINORAH ERENO | Edition 195 - FAPESP Agency - May 2012
The cosmetics manufacturer Natura has nearly doubled in size in just five years. Between 2007 and 2011, net revenue jumped from R$ 3 billion to R$ 5.5 billion, product orders increased from 9 million to 17 million per year, and the share of international operations rose from 4.4% to 9%. Despite a performance below expectations for 2011, it ended the year with a growth of 9% and a record net profit of R$ 830.9 million. The success trajectory of the company, founded in 1969 with a modest laboratory and a small store, is the result of a strategy that includes a constant search for innovative solutions not only in product design but also in managing environmental impacts and in the business model, as well as timely course corrections during critical moments.
Natura, headquartered in Cajamar, in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, follows a research and development model that prioritizes the connection between specialists from various fields with solid academic backgrounds, so that projects can incorporate different perspectives. “One of the beauties of science is that it has a relatively structured language that makes conversation between scientists from different areas possible,” says Victor Fernandes, 50, director of science, technology, and ideas and concepts at Natura. The area he leads focuses on four major research fronts: classical and advanced skin and hair sciences, sustainable technologies, experience design and well-being, and relationships. “Natura's knowledge methodology is structured with these four elements,” he emphasizes. “It is almost a fractal work of deepening while simultaneously expanding to relate to other themes.”
Researchers from various fields contribute different perspectives to projects
A chemical engineer graduated from the University of São Paulo (USP) 20 years ago, Victor completed an MBA at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in innovation management and biotechnology, and lived in the United States for eight years, where he worked in the food and innovation management sectors. Having been with the company for six years and in his current role for two, Victor says that the most common scenario in corporate R&D areas is the grouping of hyper-specialists, with no openness to other specialties. “Science is relevant for value creation, but the connection between various elements is what brings differentiation to Natura.”
Read the full news article: http://revistapesquisa.fapesp.br/2012/05/11/ciencia-a-flor-da-pele/
