ParfumPlus

strengthening our organisation in Dubai in order to provide the best-in-class service they deserve. Thanks to this new R&D lab we will increase even more our sampling and creation activities locally. Our local perfumers are working with a wide palette of premium ingredients fully coordinated with the headquarters in Spain and the rest of the 17 overseas centres all over the World. We have the advantage of relying on a global platform with a local understanding of collaborative business. This new creative space will increase our intimacy and response to customers very soon. We are already planning the next stage of our expansion in a relatively short period of time. The best is yet to come. PARFUMPLUS : IBERCHEM PLACES A STRONG EMPHASIS ON SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATION. HOW WILL THE NEW CREATIVE CENTRE AND R&D LABS IN DUBAI CONTRIBUTE TO THESE GOALS? CAN YOU SHARE ANY UPCOMING PROJECTS OR INITIATIVES? Erkan Karsli : As part of the Croda Group, we are committed to becoming the most sustainable supplier of innovative ingredients, and this is well recognised with our awards and certifications. Of course, as Iberchem, we are committed at the same level and have set sustainability and innovation as key pillars of our growth strategy. The new creative centre and R&D labs in Dubai will undoubtedly contribute significantly to Iberchem’s emphasis on sustainability and innovation. Our new centre will focus even more on developing sustainable fragrances, improving the sustainability score of our palette of ingredients and further contributing to reducing the company’s carbon footprint to become a Net Zero organisation by 2050. We also want to share our deep know-how by hosting workshops and training programs at our new creative centre for the benefit of our clients and relevant partners. PP : GIVEN IBERCHEM’S PHILOSOPHY OF BEING A GLOBAL PLAYER THAT RESPONDS TO LOCAL REQUIREMENTS, HOW WILL THE DUBAI OFFICE HELP SERVE THE MIDDLE EAST MARKET’S SPECIFIC NEEDS? EK : Iberchem has been around in the Middle East since the early 1990s and is therefore well aware of the local requirements. Via our new facility, we will ensure to continue offering an effective service that responds to the evolving needs of our customers. Thanks to our local competent team which will be backed up with state- of-the-art installations, we are now in an even better position to capture the preferences and the trends of the region. We are expanding our team with new perfumers and evaluators who will be located in Dubai. They will be working on developing tailored fragrances for the Middle East which has always been and will always be a strategic region for Iberchem. Diversifying further our product range to serve the various segments of the market is another ❚ ERKAN KARSLI, GENERAL MANAGER IBERCHEM DUBAI P A R F U M P L U S 44