dsm-firmenich unveils Dutch innovation hub to propel dairy, bakery and brewery solutions

dsm-firmench has unveiled its Van Marken Food Innovation Center in Delft, the Netherlands, to advance innovations in dairy, bakery, and brewery segments. The facility will serve as the headquarters of dsm-firmenich’s €3 billion (US$3.5 billion) Taste, Texture & Health business unit.

It consists of a co-creation kitchen, multiple tasting facilities, and application labs to formulate sugar substitutes, lactose-free products, and sustainable plant-based alternatives to fish, meat, and dairy.

The new center builds on dsm-firmenich’s recent Dutch investments, such as the headquarters in Maastricht and its long-term presence at the Biotech Campus Delft, which helps companies scale biotech innovations by supporting the research to pilot and production journey.

“The future of food is not just a vision, it’s a reality that we’re creating right now together with our customers,” says Patrick Niels, president of the Taste, Texture & Health business unit.

“Strategically positioned at the Dutch Biotech Campus Delft — the global food and biotechnology hotspot — the Van Marken Food Innovation Center underlines our ongoing dedication to contributing to the local environment and to the Netherlands, while honoring our 155-year legacy of food and biotechnology innovation in Delft.”

Targeting nutrition and sustainability

Besides plant-based substitutes and sugar reduction solutions, the innovation hub will advance taste experiences and enhanced nutrition concepts.

Delft plays a key role in dsm-firmenich’s global network of activities and “global diet transformation,” notes the company. The center is named after Jacques van Marken, a Delft entrepreneur and social reformer who established the Yeast and Spirits Factory, which was later acquired by DSM in 1998.

The facility is a “driving force in strengthening the knowledge ecosystem and economic growth in the region,” says Wouter Kolff, the King’s commissioner in the Province of South-Holland.

The company is also targeting well-being and sustainability standards for the site, such as the Well Platinum and BREEAM Outstanding (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) for prioritizing human and planetary health.

Nearly 400 employees will work at the new center for dsm-firmenich, which has revenues of over €12 billion (US$14 billion) in 60 countries.

The company recently spoke with Food Ingredients First about decoding sensory challenges in plant proteins. Its masking range mitigates off-notes associated with these proteins, making food products palatable and nutritionally dense.The center includes a kitchen and tasting facilities along with labs for developing sugar substitutes, lactose-free products, and plant-based fish, meat, and dairy substitutes.