AAK Annual Report 2019

12 Launch Prove Implement Ideate Create The five value-adding stages of AAK’s Co-Development approach A business model focused on collaboration, value and growth Ever since AAK first started helping customers to improve and accelerate product development, our industry has changed tremendously. Consequently, our business model has evolved to ensure AAK continues to deliver ever more effective solutions that drive sustainable growth. Our core business today is to provide value-adding vegetable oil solutions to the food, confectionery and cosmetics industries. Customers worldwide rely on our expertise, experience and innovation to deliver lasting business value in markets shaped by shifting consumer trends. While this inevitably creates challenges to overcome, it also gives way to exciting new ideas and potential. We continuously refine our business model to ensure customers can leverage these developments and turn them into growth opportunities. This model is built around the following key attributes: One size does not fit all We understand that customers come with their own unique challenges, and therefore require customized solutions to get the results they need to stay competi- tive. Our multi-oil and multi-process approach gives us an unmatched capability to provide products tailored to specific needs, while our worldwide network of Customer Innovation Centers and production facilities enables us to act effectively as both a local and global partner. Exceptional multi-functional solutions We make products with excellent nutritional and functional value, with outstanding structure, melting and crystallization behavior, rheological properties, flavor release, and skin penetration. This enables us to meet specific customer requirements for improved health profile, taste, processing, logistics, labeling, and legal requirements. In every case, our technical and commer- cial experts work closely with customers to identify the optimal solution. A focus on health Many customer demands are inspired by consumer health trends. This is an area we take very seriously, not least to support a customer’s product development strategy. Here our expertise has enabled us to maintain Co-Development creates value One of AAK’s greatest strengths is our unique co-de- velopment approach. This was born from our strong relationships with customers, where we could bring the most value by working proactively in close collab- oration to deliver value-adding results at every stage. This methodology enables us to work as an efficient team from idea to launch, drawing upon the right expertise at the right time to create solutions with better ideation, faster development times and more effective implementation.