Yum China Holdings, Inc., China, opened an innovation center in downtown Shanghai, China.

“In a fast-paced and dynamic industry, innovation is key and central to everything we do. We have been in China for over 30 years, and have continued to evolve and grow with new generations of customers thanks to our relentless focus on innovation and staying close to changing customer preferences," says Joey Wat, chief executive officer. "The establishment of the innovation center is testament to our commitment and vision to become the world's most innovative pioneer in the restaurant industry. Through creating an integrated hub, we look forward to continuing to explore innovative ways to drive growth, deliver value and enhance every aspect of the customer experience."

The 27,000-square-foot innovation center is an integrated research and development facility designed to generate new ideas and concepts and enable the rapid roll-out of localized and innovative products. The center features state-of-the-art facilities, including a test kitchen, a sensory test area and a suite of labs covering quality assurance, equipment and restaurant technology testing, packaging innovation, new store model prototypes and content production.

The new innovation center is also a space to engage, connect and collaborate on new product development such as KFC's Okinawa sea-salt ice cream or Pizza Hut's durian pizza.