Science & Innovation

Putting our purpose to work

Solving the world’s biggest challenges

Our scientific expertise and innovation power is answering some of the world’s biggest challenges, supporting our business growth while delivering value to everyone from customers and shareholders to employees, to the citizens of the world…

Our purpose is what drives our innovations. Our bright minds are guided by our ‘magnetic north’ - a genuine reflection of why our company exists and why we all come into work each day: to create brighter lives for all.

Whether it’s fighting hidden hunger around the world or enabling our customers to produce sustainable and healthy animal proteins science and innovation really can change the world.

A unique scientific approach

We’ve learned that it’s hard to sustain innovation long-term unless your people really want to do it. Which is why our purpose is at the very heart of our science and innovation efforts. For example, our strategy is fully aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

We believe that people are inherently good – and want to do well by doing good. Which is why we recruit bright minds who are 100% behind our purpose and come into work every day fired up to make their mark on society. What’s more, they are increasingly from more diverse backgrounds (we aim for a minimum 50% representation of under-represented groups when hiring) – thus bringing with them different and disruptive thinking.

Do you want to create brighter lives for all? Explore our jobs in science and innovation here

Purpose leads to results

So how are we doing? Around two-thirds of our sales are what we call Brighter Living Solutions. They have a significantly better impact on the health of people and the planet than conventional, comparable solutions, and are also more profitable than our running business.

Furthermore, our innovation speed is three times greater than a decade ago – boosting value creation yet further by getting our new solutions to market faster to make life brighter for as many people as possible.

Creating a winning infrastructure

From our global network of state-of-the-art laboratories around the world, approximately 1,700 DSM scientists work to transform bright science into sustainable commercial solutions.

Together with universities and external R&D institutions as well as commercial and public-private partnerships, our open and collaborative approach increases our scientific scope and helps us make joint contributions to address significant environmental and societal challenges.

Scientific Advisory Board

In line with our open innovation approach, DSM also regularly connects with its international Scientific Advisory Board. Acting under the supervision of the Chief Science Officer, the Board provides valuable different perspectives and insights, challenges and reviews our scientific work and gives advice on trends and upcoming disruptive technologies.

The Board is comprised of internationally recognized experts from leading universities around the world who are active in the fields of health, nutrition and bioscience. 

Read more

  • Scientific competences

    Scientific competences

    DSM’s toolbox of scientific capabilities ensures access to early-stage technologies with disruptive potential.

  • Our businesses

    Our businesses

    DSM's companies span a range of human and animal health and nutrition businesses.

  • Our heritage

    Our heritage

    How did we transform over the past century from Dutch coal mining to a global science-based leader in health, nutrition and bioscience?