11.01.05
DSM, Delft, The Netherlands, has unveiled a new strategy to accelerate growth, innovation and portfolio quality toward 2010. Market-driven growth and innovation are key drivers in the company’s new strategy. In fact, DSM aims to generate up to €1 billion of sales from innovation by 2010. Eleven existing innovation programs in the field of nutrition, health and performance materials will be strongly accelerated. DSM has also selected four specific “emerging business areas” that optimally combine expected societal and technological trends with DSM’s current market strongholds and technology positions. These include biomedical materials, specialty packaging, personalized nutrition and white (or industrial) biotechnology. Teams will be formed to combine know-how of participating business groups with smaller new business development acquisitions in an “open innovation” model. The company believes these “emerging business areas” will add to existing innovation programs and prepare for market needs beyond 2010. In order to maximally leverage the capabilities between the business groups, the current organizational model will be aligned with the Vision 2010 strategy. Pharma activities will be grouped in a new “Pharma” cluster and the activities of DSM Nutritional Products and DSM Food Specialties will be combined in a new “Nutrition” cluster. “Performance Materials” and “Industrial Chemicals” will remain as clusters. Innovation will be anchored at cluster level, and DSM will establish an “Innovation Centre” at the corporate level. Leading the charge on the innovation front will be the company’s new chief innovation officer, Dr. Rob van Leen, who is presently the business group director for DSM Food Specialties. He will enter his new position in the first quarter of 2006.