PROCTER & GAMBLE INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS SA

Their core work

Procter & Gamble's Swiss international operations arm contributes industrial-scale consumer goods expertise to EU research projects, particularly in waste valorization and advanced materials. Their H2020 involvement focuses on turning post-consumer product waste (such as diapers and hygiene products) into valuable biorefinery feedstock, and on digital materials modelling to improve product and process design. As a global FMCG giant, P&G brings real-world manufacturing challenges, large-scale testing capacity, and deep knowledge of consumer product materials to research consortia.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

P&G's early H2020 involvement (2017) centered on circular economy and waste valorization — specifically recycling their own hygiene product waste through biorefinery technology. From 2020 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward digital tools: materials ontology, AI-driven simulation platforms, and modelling workflows for materials design. This evolution mirrors a broader industrial trend from physical waste problems toward digital-first approaches to materials innovation and process optimization.

P&G is moving from physical waste management research toward AI-powered materials simulation and digital design tools, suggesting future collaborations will center on computational materials science and digital twins for product development.

How they like to work

P&G operates as a background contributor rather than a project driver — they have never coordinated an H2020 project and participated as a third party in two of their three projects. With 86 unique partners across 16 countries, they engage in large, broad consortia where they contribute industry perspective and real-world validation rather than leading the research agenda. This pattern is typical of large corporates that use EU projects for technology scouting and pre-competitive research access.

Despite only three projects, P&G connects to 86 unique partners across 16 countries, reflecting involvement in large-scale Innovation Action and Research consortia. Their network spans most of Europe, consistent with their global operations footprint.

What sets them apart

P&G brings something rare to EU research consortia: immediate industrial scale and market access for consumer product innovations. Unlike SMEs or research institutes, they can validate technologies against real manufacturing lines and massive consumer markets. For researchers working on materials, waste valorization, or digital manufacturing tools, P&G offers a direct path from lab results to products used by billions of people worldwide.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EMBRACED
  Directly tackles P&G's own product waste stream (diapers, hygiene products), making it a rare case where a multinational funds research to recycle its own products at industrial scale.
• OntoTRANS
  Signals P&G's strategic investment in AI and ontology-driven materials modelling — a digital infrastructure play that could reshape how they design consumer products.