Investment and product launches signal optimism at DSM Fine Chemicals
29 Mar 2000
Dutch major DSM's Fine Chemicals business has announced plans to invest E50million in new plants in Linz, Austria, and Venlo, the Netherlands. Aimed at servicing the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries, the new sites represent `substantial' increases in fine chemicals capacity, the company says.
Both sets of facilities, which will make complex intermediates and active ingredients for drugs and agrochemicals, will be designed to comply with current good manufacturing practice. DSM's research department is planning to launch `a large number' of new intermediates and active ingredients for pharmaceuticals in the coming years, and the new capacity will handle the rapidly-growing demand the company expects. A pilot plant suite at Venlo has recently been expanded, and this facility will be integrated into this development process, the company explains.
DSM's specialities include chiral compounds and substances made by the processes of fermentation, oxidation and biocatalysis. Its product lines are based on fine chemicals raw materials such as benzaldehyde, maleic anhydride, iodine and quinine, which the company manufactures itself. Customers for these products are in the dyes, pigments, flavours and fragrances industries as well as drugs and agrochems.
