The Sustainability of Biotech: Advancing Responsible Innovation
Company Feature, Oct 28, 2025
BIOTECHNOLOGY IN BEAUTY
At The Estée Lauder Companies, transformative innovation is a strategic priority rooted in science and driven by purpose. To deepen our understanding, expand the boundaries of possibility, and deliver lasting impact, we focus deliberately on new technologies and pioneering research and partnering with trusted institutions so that the science we pursue today becomes the solutions we offer our consumers tomorrow. Biotechnology plays a pivotal role in this journey. We see it as more than a tool or a scientific frontier, but as a bridge to a more beautiful and responsible future where our beauty products increasingly honour the environment and reflect our core commitments.
ELC has long leveraged biotechnology, with decades of experience applying advanced longevity science and fermentation to drive innovation across our portfolio. As biotechnology transforms the beauty industry, we are building on this scientific legacy. Harnessing the power of biotechnology leads to the development of high-performance products and bio-engineered ingredients that can help reduce environmental impact without compromising the efficacy and luxury our consumers expect. At ELC, we are furthering this transformation through strategic scientific partnerships that build on our commitment to responsible innovation. These efforts leverage bio-engineered ingredients that reduce environmental impact while enhancing product performance for our consumers.
Oevel Biotech Hub: In-House Excellence
Employees join William P. Lauder, Chair of the Board of Directors, and Roberto Canevari, Chief Value Chain Officer, outside ELC's Oevel campus in Belgium.
In December 2024, ELC opened the doors to our new BioTech Hub in Olen, Belgium, located near our manufacturing and distribution campus in Oevel, Belgium. This state-of-the-art facility focuses on the production of bio-based raw materials derived from plants, yeast, and bacteria. By leveraging biotechnology, we are redefining traditional ingredient sourcing.
The hub enables the production of nature-inspired alternatives that help preserve biodiversity and conserve natural resources. It builds on our existing biotech capabilities in Melville, NY, creating a complementary network of innovation. These facilities exemplify our commitment to embed sustainability at the core of product development and support our long-term innovation goals across formulation, sourcing, and environmental performance.
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
At ELC, we recognise the value of collaboration in advancing research and innovation across scientific disciplines—including biotechnology. Our strategic partnerships with leading research institutions and forward-thinking biotechnology companies are a vital part of our approach to driving sustainability across our value chain. Over the past year, we have made significant progress advancing these collaborations.
Exuud: Revolutionising Fragrance Delivery
In January 2025, ELC announced an exclusive partnership with technology start-up Exuud to introduce a breakthrough in scent delivery that advances sustainability in fragrance. Powered by Exuud’s proprietary Soliqaire™ technology, the system transforms liquid fragrance into solid beads made from biodegradable, plant-derived materials. The beads absorb and release scent without the use of heat or aerosols, offering a clean, consistent, and long-lasting diffusion method. Combined with new hardware that precisely controls fragrance release, the result is a customisable scent experience that combines beauty, precision functionality, and sustainability.
This collaboration advances ELC’s strategic focus on cutting-edge innovation in prestige and luxury fragrance, delivering a more responsible, efficient, and tailored approach to scent for consumers.
3D skin modelling in ELC’s Advanced Technology laboratories to compare the effects on skin of environmental stressors.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): Advancing Biomolecular Sustainability
In February 2025, ELC announced an exciting collaboration with the esteemed Langer and Jaklenec Labs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that seeks to explore how biotechnology can unlock the future of sustainability for cosmetics.
This multi-year research focuses on developing biodegradable delivery systems and protective technologies using bio-polymers that safeguard skin from environmental stressors and sunlight, while embracing green chemistry to help reduce environmental impact.
This collaboration exemplifies ELC’s broader commitments to investing in scientific discovery that supports long-term sustainability and advances the science of skin care.
BIOTECH'S ROLE IN THE FUTURE OF RESPONSIBLE BEAUTY
As a leader in prestige beauty, we are advancing product innovation through a deliberate approach that aligns scientific excellence with environmental responsibility. Enhancing our capabilities and forging strategic partnerships are only the beginning of ELC's action to innovate through biotechnology. Biotechnology is one of several powerful tools we are using to rethink how ingredients are sourced, how formulas are developed, and how innovation enables sustainability and high-performance to coexist. This vision supports ELC 's broader Beauty Reimagined strategy by positioning us at the forefront of the industry with products that meet evolving consumer needs, while shaping the future of responsible beauty through science, values, and the power of biotechnology.
