NORWALK, CONN. — Campbell Soup Co. and Pepperidge Farm, Inc. broke ground on a 34,000-square-foot innovation center at the Pepperidge Farm headquarters.

The center is a $30 million investment designed to support Campbell’s strategy of driving growth in baked snacks and the company’s efforts to accelerate innovation across its baking and snacking portfolio.

“Pepperidge Farm has a long track record of innovation, and this project is key to our plans to accelerate the rate of innovation in baked snacks,” said Denise Morrison, Campbell president and chief executive officer. “The center is designed to foster greater collaboration and creativity in a setting where we can combine our culinary and baking expertise with our understanding of consumers’ needs.”

The center will have a pilot plant with product development and testing lines, culinary kitchens, scientific labs and meeting rooms. The facility will be completed in the fall of 2012, and at that time the Pepperidge Farm headquarters will have 115,000 square feet of office and research development space. The company also leases 33,500 square feet of space at Norwalk’s Norden Place Office Park.