From human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) to functional probiotics, from novel cheese structure design to AI-driven formulation development, Yili Innovation Center Europe has spent the past decade advancing its vision of “driving industry through science, serving health through technology.” The center has achieved a series of influential breakthroughs across multiple frontiers of nutrition and technology. This journey is not only a real-world exploration of integrating scientific research with dairy innovation, but also a valuable model of cross-border R&D collaboration for dairy companies in China and around the world—demonstrating how science, industry, and consumers can form a positive cycle to build an innovation ecosystem for the future.