DSM opens new center for innovative materials

Royal DSM has opened its new center for research into and development of high-performance materials. Located at Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Sittard-Geleen, the Netherlands, this facility is DSM’s largest materials center worldwide  and forms part of the company’s  €100 million investment in knowledge and innovation announced 2 years ago. The center employs over 400 knowledge workers and combines important technological skills and expertise unique in the Netherlands for use in applications the world over.

The opening of the state-of-the-art center was attended by Dutch Economics Minister Henk Kamp, together with Theo Bovens, Governor of Limburg Province; Dimitri De Vreeze, member of DSM’s Managing Board; Roelof Westerbeek, President of DSM Engineering Plastics; and Atzo Nicola?, President of DSM Netherlands.

The innovative materials center is an important base for DSM’s Materials Sciences research and marketing activities, aside from being a key research center for DSM Engineering Plastics. Historically, Sittard-Geleen has been the main center of DSM’s high-performance materials research.

DSM materials are used in applications and products all over the world; from connectors in electronics, surgical sutures and medical implants to heat-resistant plastic engine parts for the automotive industry, smart food packaging material, solar panel coatings and super-strong fibers in, for instance, cables. The materials need to be not only safe and superior in quality but also have a positive impact on people and the environment.