Beauty products supplier L’Oréal USA announced plans this week to open a new, $140 million Research & Innovation (R&I) Center in Clark, NJ that will replace several aging facilities. The company describes the project as its “most significant investment” in a R&I site to date.

“Our new campus will serve as the Research & Innovation epicenter for our North American scientific teams across product innovation, development, and testing,” said Sanford Browne, North America president of Research and Innovation at L’Oréal, in a release. “The US is a unique market, and our strong presence in this highly collaborative environment will empower us to provide an even higher standard of quality, efficacy, and safety for our customers. With cutting-edge science and technology, advanced digital tools and data, and a focus on green chemistry, we will continue invent the future of beauty.”

The location will focus on beauty innovations in the hair, skin, and makeup categories and conduct research on emerging scientific fields like green sciences and beauty technology.

“This historic investment in our new Research & Innovation Center is an important milestone for L’Oréal USA as we continue to put science at the heart of all we do to serve our American consumers with more innovative, inclusive, and sustainable beauty products,” David Greenberg, president and chief executive officer of L’Oréal USA, said in a statement. “New Jersey has served as our scientific hub here in the US for over six decades, and we are excited to expand our footprint in the state and bring all our scientific teams together in a beautiful and modern new research facility.”

More than 550 workers will staff the 250,000-sq-ft facility. The company will include agile workspaces and modular labs to support internal partnerships and collaborations, as well as the capacity to scale formulations.

L’Oréal USA expects the facility to be operational by 2024.