News overview

• Q2 operating profit from continuing operations clearly higher than Q1 2009

• Q2 total operating profit of EUR 79 million, substantially down from last year's record

• Nutrition business remains robust

• Materials Sciences recovers from first quarter losses

• Cash flow from operating activities once again very strong (EUR 267 million); 44% higher than Q2 2008

• Interim dividend unchanged at EUR 0.40 per ordinary share

• The outlook remains uncertain, although the initial impact of inventory write-downs and customer de-stocking now looks to be largely over 

DSM Engineering Plastics has expanded further its Green Portfolio with the introduction of EcoPaXX™, a bio-based, high performance engineering plastic. The new material, which is based on polyamide (PA) 410, has been developed by DSM in recent years, and is now set to be commercialized.

New DSM Stanyl® thermally conductive materials replace aluminum housing in Philips MASTER LED MR16 retrofit lamp

Royal DSM N.V., the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company headquartered in the Netherlands, today announces an agreement to acquire Biopract GmbH, based in Berlin (Germany). The acquisition of privately held Biopract will serve as an entry point for DSM into the promising biogas market, which is showing 15-20% growth per year.

Royal DSM N.V., the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company headquartered in the Netherlands, today announces that it has entered into a multi-million dollar contract with Shire US Manufacturing Inc., a subsidiary of Shire plc., for the manufacture and supply of specialty pharmaceutical products to Shire.

Royal DSM N.V., the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company headquartered in the Netherlands, today announces that DSM Biomedical obtained an exclusive world-wide license for a unique drug & biologics delivery system developed by MediVas LLC. Integrated into DSM's Trancerta® Drug Delivery platform, this will open up a broad range of opportunities for next generation drug delivery. DSM's activities in this field are an illustration of the way DSM is leveraging its competences in Materials Sciences into Life Sciences applications.

Royal DSM NV, the world's leading Life and Materials Sciences company, announced today a scientific breakthrough in tackling iron deficiency and malaria in partnership with the World Food Programme. It has found a new way to resolve a longstanding nutrition problem - using its enzyme expertise to provide iron to those suffering from iron deficiency, without increasing the risk of malaria.

Royal DSM N.V., the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company headquartered in the Netherlands, announces that today a new factory for waterborne acrylic resins has been opened in Waalwijk (Netherlands). Total investment costs amounted to EUR 30 million.

• Full year operating profit up 10% to EUR 903 million; Q4 down 35% to EUR 123 million

• Continuing strong performance from Life Sciences businesses and DSM Dyneema in Q4

• Most Materials Sciences businesses severely impacted by downturn since beginning of Q4

• Focus on cash over profitability generates strong cash flow in Q4; cost saving program of EUR 100 million under way

• Solid long-term financial position; dividend maintained at EUR 1.20 per share

• No quantitative outlook provided for 2009 in view of the uncertain economic conditions

Royal DSM N.V., the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company headquartered

in the Netherlands, today announces that its Triple P report 2008 achieves an A + according to the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The A + rating is the highest score companies worldwide can achieve for the transparency of their sustainability reporting efforts.

Royal DSM N.V., the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company headquartered in the Netherlands, today announces that a definitive agreement has been signed to sell its Solutech business to Lydall, Inc., the United States-based specialty engineered products manufacturer.

The international success of Fabuless, DSM’s revolutionary weight management ingredient, continues with news that it is the key ingredient in a number of retail concepts now available in the Asia-Pacific region. These launches demonstrate the global appeal of Fabuless and are the commercial reflection of consumer research carried out earlier this year to determine interest and demand for the product in this region.

•    Continued strong organic sales growth (12%), driven by pricing power.

•    Sustained strong profitability in Nutrition.

•    Accelerating economic downturn increasingly visible in Materials Sciences.

•    EBIT from continuing operations up 27% to EUR 267 million; EPS up 41%.

•    2008 operating profit expected to be around EUR 1,000 million.

DSM launches U.S. Department of Energy-funded research initiative for second generation biofuels

Royal DSM N.V., the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company headquartered in the Netherlands, and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announce that the 2008 ICIS Innovation Awards for Best Business Innovation has been awarded to DSM Nutritional Products and WFP for the MixMe (TM) micronutrient powder.

DSM Venturing, the corporate venturing unit of Royal DSM N.V., today announces that it has made an investment in the new business incubator in the field of medical devices Accelerated Technologies II, L.P. (ATP).

DSM confirms Vision 2010 targets and updates 2008 guidance

DSM doubles Stanyl® capacity with opening of new plant in Geleen (NL)

DSM and Caliber Therapeutics to develop novel drug delivery device

Royal DSM N.V., the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company headquartered in the Netherlands, today announces that DSM Nutritional Products has opened its third premix plant in China. The new facility allows DSM to serve a larger geographical area in China. This enables the company to capitalize on opportunities that arise from the rapidly growing animal nutrition & health industry in one of the key growth countries for DSM.

DSM’s exciting blood pressure controlling lactotripeptide ingredient, TensGuard received the gold award for most innovative new health ingredient at this year’s Health Ingredients Europe exhibition. Beating off competition from seven other high profile finalists, TensGuard was awarded the prestigious first prize by an independent judging panel of retailers, manufacturers, scientists and industry leaders. 

DSM expands production capacity for ®claryl picture glass by 50%

DSM inaugurates Akulon® PA6 polymer plant in China

Royal DSM N.V., the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company headquartered in the Netherlands, and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC) today announce that they have signed a memorandum of understanding for DSM to acquire MCC’s Novamid® polyamide business in exchange for DSM’s Xantar® polycarbonate business.

Royal DSM N.V., the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company headquartered in the Netherlands, today announces that it will quadruple production capacity for Stanyl® ForTii(TM) in order to meet market demand for this new polymer, which is used in electronics and other applications.