CHICAGO — Conagra Brands, Inc. plans to build The Conagra Brands Center for Food Design in Chicago, located next to the company’s headquarters. The 40,000-square-foot research and development center will be an expansion of the company’s current facility.

The expanded innovation center will focus on innovation related to snacking and combine food and packaging design capabilities.

“Conagra Brands’ $2 billion snacks business is one of the largest and fastest growing in the food industry,” said Thomas M. McGough, executive vice-president and co-chief operating officer for Conagra Brands. “Our strong snacking portfolio is positioned for long-term growth, and we expect the capabilities in this new facility to enable us to create even more innovative products that our consumers will love.”

The innovation center will house 50 employees and is scheduled to open during the first quarter of 2020. The company’s Center for Food Design and Technology in Omaha, Neb., will continue to operate. Its focus will be on frozen, refrigerated, shelf-stable meals and condiments applications.