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The Hershey Company has opened a new research and development (R&D) facility in Johor, Malaysia, as it looks to develop and launch new products in international markets. The 10,400-square-foot facility houses R&D laboratories, a packaging development plant and a sensory area. The new site has become one of Hershey's largest R&D facilities outside the US. Hershey's VP, AEMEA and India, Herjit Bhalla, said: "The facility will act as a central hub for the company's operations across the AEMEA region within countries in the Asia Pacific, including India and China, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Our new R&D centre reflects our ongoing commitment to understanding the preferences of consumers across the markets." Hershey's senior director of R&D, international, Philippe Zehnder, added: "This investment is just one example of how Hershey is continuing to reinvent the science of confectionery through internal and external innovation. The new facility will allow our talented teams to gain deeper insights into consumers by enabling them to conceptualise, test and develop some of the most innovative products across the region."