Internship - HIVE: Ecosystems, Digital and Data

Internship at Unilever: HIVE - Ecosystems, Digital and Data

Are you ready to kick-start your career at one of the world’s most iconic companies?  

At Unilever, we’re not just about creating products – we’re about building dreams, opportunities, and innovations. With over 400 brands like Dove, Knorr, and Lipton, we’re committed to making sustainable living commonplace.  

HIVE is Unilever’s Foods Innovation Centre and home to the product innovations of some of the world's favorite food brands like Knorr and Hellmann's.

At Hive, our Mantra is that ‘’If you think you can do it alone, you are not thinking big enough’’. With this open innovation mindset, we are looking to tackle the R&D challenges that we face, bringing the outside in and leveraging our extensive ecosystem of like-minded partners on the Wageningen Campus and beyond.

This is more than just an internship; it’s a chance to learn, grow, and leave your mark at one of the largest FMCG companies on the planet.  

What makes this internship exciting?

As an intern in the Ecosystems, Digital and Data team, your ideas will drive impact, and your creativity will take center stage.  

You will be uniquely placed in a global team that aims to bring the outside in by bringing partners on board to tackle our R&D challenges. The team works for the entire Foods R&D organization; meaning it touches on all our delicious food products and brands that reach consumers globally on a daily basis.

The team will provide you with a project that will let you build an in- and external network of project leaders, researchers, and external R&D partners. You will develop business awareness in a technical R&D context, learning about local and global innovation frameworks, the grants and subsidies landscape, leveraging new capabilities and future trends to develop solutions to critical challenges. You will learn to independently set up a research project and be the one to decide where to dive deeper and which recommendations you will share with the stakeholders.

This isn’t just about learning – it’s about leading! Here’s what your journey will look like: 

• You will be onboarded in Unilever, Foods R&D, and the team. With help of the team, you will draft a research plan on how to tackle the project. Your own initiative, experiences, and ideas are highly appreciated;
• You will research, analyze, and document R&D Open Innovation strategies;
• Conduct in- and external stakeholder interviews to gather insights. For example: from startups on what they seek in corporate partners and key factors for successful startup-corporate collaboration, or from our colleagues, on what they are looking for in external partnerships and what their key success drivers are;
• To reflect on our ways of working and provide actionable recommendations based on your findings to step up our impact. 

You’re the perfect fit if:

• You’re available for 5 to 6 months starting 25th of August or 1st September 2025 (minimum 32 hours/week). 
• You are enrolled (3rd or 4th year) in a Bachelor/Master’s in a relevant field (Innovation Management, Business Management, Food Innovation Management, Food & Business, Food Technology, etc.). 
• You are an independent worker, able to manage your work independently, pro-actively seek help when needed, make plans and schedules for your own work, and take initiative. 
• You are an agile worker, able to adapt and change flexibly if the project requires you to.
• You are a strong communicator and able to represent yourself well. 
• You are fluent in English; both verbally and written. 
• You possess critical thinking skills, willing to ask questions to understand issues from all possible angles and pose creative solutions to challenges. 
• You are fluent in MS Office applications. 
• You have basic business awareness (pre), understanding what drives a company and how drivers differ between, for example, a startup and a corporate. 
• You are able to collect complex and different sets of data, structure and present them with clarity to your stakeholders.
• Attention to Detail: You have a keen eye for detail and ensure accuracy in your work.
• You have knowledge of using open/public sources to gather information, possibly with the use of AI. 
• You have a strong integrity mindset

Why you’ll love working with us?

We know internships are all about growth and exploration – and we’ve got you covered.  

• A €625 gross/month allowance. 
• Travel reimbursement (if you don’t have a student travel card). 
• Fun and engaging intern programs – onboarding, events, and activities with fellow interns. 
• Access to extensive training programs for personal and professional growth. 
• A flexible working environment tailored to your success. 
• A behind-the-scenes experience at one of the world’s largest and most innovative FMCG companies. 

Unilever is more than a workplace – it’s a space to bring your passions to life while creating impact. Are you ready to be part of something extraordinary? Let’s make it happen together!