DSM to Launch New Line of Bio-based Materials Via Partnership With Empresa Brasileira de Biotechnologia (EBRABIOTECH)

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• Brazil - Português

CHICAGO, Jan. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Royal DSM, the global Life and Material Sciences company, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding between its US-based Business Unit DSM Functional Materials and Empresa Brasileira de Biotechnologia (Ebrabiotech) of Brazil for the launch of a new line of DSM-branded bio-based materials targeting the concrete floor coatings market.  The initiative focuses on the development of bio-based castor oil materials, which is non-edible and helps to lower the total carbon footprint.

Founded on DSM's four global growth drivers — High-Growth Economies, Innovation, Sustainability, and Acquisitions & Partnerships — DSM Functional Materials is dedicated to responding to market trends which point toward more environmentally friendly and lighter-weight materials. In 2009, the business launched its first eco-friendly line of floor coating products, UVolve® Instant Floor Coatings, based on UV-curable technology.

"The new development between DSM and Ebrabiotech fits perfectly with our two companies' shared interest in developing innovative, green chemistries that deliver more sustainable solutions to people working into various markets around the globe," says Henk-Jan Koenen, Business Unit Director DSM Functional Materials. "For DSM, Sustainability continues to be our primary innovation driver and our portfolio strongly reflects DSM's commitment to the 'triple-p' bottom line approach—people, planet, profit."

This development is also aimed to contribute to DSM's commitment to filling more than 80% of its innovation pipeline by 2015 with ECO+ products—products that, when considered over their entire life cycle, offer clear ecological benefits over competing mainstream solutions.

The new line of bio-based materials developed by DSM and Ebrabiotech will initially target the industrial concrete flooring market.  However, future materials developed between the two companies are expected to also offer sustainable new low-carbon footprint solutions for Aquaculture and Structural Steel Protection applications.

DSM – Bright Science. Brighter Living.™
Royal DSM N.V. is a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials. By connecting its unique competences in Life Sciences and Materials Sciences DSM is driving economic prosperity, environmental progress and social advances to create sustainable value for all stakeholders. DSM delivers innovative solutions that nourish, protect and improve performance in global markets such as food and dietary supplements, personal care, feed, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, automotive, paints, electrical and electronics, life protection, alternative energy and bio-based materials.  DSM's 22,000 employees deliver annual net sales of about euro 9 billion. The company is listed on NYSE Euronext.

DSM Functional Materials
DSM Functional Materials is a leading developer of high-performance functional coatings and composite materials.  Operating as a Business Unit within the Performance Materials cluster of Royal DSM N.V., it is dedicated to material innovations that contribute to a more sustainable world.  The unit's Functional Coatings portfolio includes DeSolite® and Cablelite® UV-curable fiber optic coatings, inks and matrix materials; Somos® stereolithography materials for solid imaging applications, UVolve® Instant Floor Coatings for the protection of concrete floors and vinyl composite tile, and UVaCorr® anti-corrosion coatings for tube and pipe.  The unit's Composite Materials portfolio will include light-weight products for modular housing units and containers.

DSM Functional Materials is headquartered in Elgin, IL (USA) and operates R&D facilities in the USA, Europe and Asia Pacific, as well as a joint venture with JSR in Japan. 

Empresa Brasileira de Biotechnologia S.A.
Based in Araraquara, Brazil, EBRABIOTECH was formed from a desire to promote bio-based products as a viable alternative to petrochemical-based products. Manufacturers, producers, retailers and ultimately consumers are increasingly looking at bio-based products as an eco-friendly alternative. Using vegetal oil as its feedstock of choice, EBRABIOTECH develops products ranging from coatings and resins to animal nutrition. Vegetal-based products are not only more efficient to produce than their petroleum counterparts, but EBRABIOTECH's testing and R&D shows superior technical, health and environmental qualities. EBRABIOTECH believes that renewable energy and appropriate technology is a virtue born of necessity, and that bio-based products offer a viable (and indeed superior) alternative to petroleum. EBRABIOTECH has been seeking research and commercial joint venture partners who share their vision of the future to help promote its technologies incorporating bio-based products.

For more information:
DSM Functional Materials
Kim Axiotis
tel. +1-847-468-7773
e-mail [email protected]

SOURCE DSM