MAJOR Southampton employer British American Tobacco (BAT) is allowing people to take online tours of its research and development hub in the city.

The initiative will allow people to see the science behind its “reduced risk” lines such as vaping products and nicotine pouches.

BAT employs around 1,200 people at Regents Park Road in Southampton.

More than 3,500 people have visited the global R&D hub there in person since 2011, but the company says the virtual experience will allow people around the world to understand its research and tobacco harm reduction activities.

Dr. David O’Reilly, director of scientific research at BAT, said: “At BAT, R&D is fundamental to what we do. Our focus on science and research has enabled us to make significant progress in developing and evolving our new category products, which are rigorously tested and scientifically substantiated as reduced-risk alternatives to cigarettes.

“Our R&D is based around consumer preferences, as well as applying evolving science and innovation to our products. This allows us to offer a range of enjoyable, reduced-risk alternatives to cigarettes, while ensuring we maintain very high safety and quality standards.

“Our new R&D Virtual Visitor Experience demonstrates the breadth of science we are undertaking and the robust scientific framework we use to evaluate and support the role our products play in delivering tobacco harm reduction.”

The R&D virtual Visitor Experience includes lab tours, animations, videos, scientist profiles, podcasts and more.

BAT says the tour illustrates its mission to reduce the health impact of its business. It is investing almost £350m year on its strategy A Better Tomorrow and aims to have 50m consumers of its non-combustible products by 2030.

BAT conducts research in fields including molecular biology, toxicology, and chemistry.

Users of the virtual experience will be able to explore its sensory science department, its biotechnology laboratory, its biology laboratory and its battery laboratory for rechargeable devices.

BAT employs more than 53,000 people and operates in more than 180 countries, generating revenue of more than £25.8billion and £9.9bn in profit in 2020.