Royal DSM 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 23,500 employees deliver annual net sales of around €9 billion. The company is listed on NYSE Euronext.

Since 1963, DSM has been doing businss with China and made its investment more than 10 years ago. With both the headquater and research center in Shanghai, DSM China now has 22 plants and 31 branches in China.

Royal DSM, the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company, and POET, LLC, one of the world’s largest ethanol producers, today announce a joint venture to commercially demonstrate and license cellulosic bio-ethanol, the next step in the development of biofuels, based on their proprietary and complementary technologies. POET–DSM Advanced Biofuels, LLC, is scheduled to start production in the second half of 2013 at one of the first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plants in the United States.

The two partners will produce cellulosic ethanol from corn crop residue through a biological process using enzymatic hydrolysis followed by fermentation. The first commercial demonstration of the technology will be at Project Liberty, which is currently being constructed adjacent to POET’s existing corn ethanol plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa. The initial capacity is expected to be 20 million gallons in the first year, growing to approximately 25 million gallons per year. Both partners in the joint venture bring deep expertise and experience in different areas of cellulosic bio-ethanol. They also share the same vision for a bio-based economy.

Feike Sijbesma, CEO/Chairman of the DSM Managing Board, commented: “This cooperation is a milestone in realizing DSM’s strategy. By leveraging the unique opportunities in Life Sciences and Materials Sciences we can contribute our heritage of over a century in both biotechnology and chemistry to this joint venture with a biofuels leader. Together we shall deliver the key to unlock the cellulosic bio-ethanol opportunity. As the world is facing unprecedented challenges with a growing population making an ever bigger claim on the planet’s resources, we need to accelerate the transition to a bio-based economy and this joint venture is a significant step in that direction.”

DSM already has a unique position in the development of cellulosic ethanol as the only company offering both yeasts and enzyme solutions to increase conversion rates to make the technology commercially viable. DSM has vast experience in scaling up biotechnological processes and an extensive global footprint and relationships to help accelerate technology adoption in key markets. In an analysis of the Renewable Fuel Standard, the U.S. EPA projected 7.8 billion gallons of cellulosic bio-ethanol coming from corn crop residue by 2022.