An example: almost a third of our food gets wasted. Smart food packaging helps extend shelf life and avoid food wastage. Using its innovative Arnitel product, DSM Engineering Plastics has developed a breathable packaging that controls the mixture of moisture, oxygen and CO2 in, for instance, packaged lettuce. As a result, the lettuce goes into a type of slumber and lasts much longer thanks to the smart packaging.
Another example: Dyneema, the world's strongest fiber is at the same time extremely light and flexible and has many innovative applications, for instance in cut-resistant gloves, shipping ropes and bullet-resistant vests. DSM is always on the lookout for innovative new applications for this fiber, one example being an automatic tsunami barrier. The barrier could be installed along the coastline anchored in a trench behind the beach. When the tsunami tidal-wave arrives, the force of the water immediately causes the membrane with Dyneema to unfold, while a float drags it upright. The float is kept securely in place with Dyneema cables. This rapidly creates a high wall stopping up to 20 meters of water, thus preventing casualties and material damage.
Dimitri de Vreeze, member of the Royal DSM's Managing Board: "This investment is perfectly aligned with our strategy for growth in Materials Sciences through innovative solutions for a more sustainable future for people today and for generations to come. DSM’s innovations create new possibilities and contribute to solutions to the major challenges the world is facing. Lighter, high-quality materials that replace steel in cars and reduce energy consumption, smart packaging that help us prevent food being wasted, and materials made from biobased rather than fossil resources, helping to facilitate the circular economy."
Roelof Westerbeek, President of Engineering Plastics: "By combining DSM Engineering Plastics’ the research and development, marketing and sales activities under one roof in this very inspiring environment we are creating optimal synergies. With the science and knowledge brought together here, we aim to raise the bar even higher. The combination enables us to break new ground and to reduce the time to market for DSM innovations even further."
Atzo Nicolaï, president of DSM Netherlands: "I am proud of this milestone. The new materials center is an asset to research and development in the Netherlands in a field in which we excel, as the Netherlands and as DSM in the Netherlands."
