dsm-firmenich unveils global food innovation center to unlock healthier diets

Today, dsm-firmenich has opened its Van Marken Food Innovation Center in Delft, the Netherlands. The new center will house the headquarters of the company’s more than €3 billion (US$3.53 billion) Taste, Texture & Health business unit. It is designed to help its customers develop more delicious, nutritious, and sustainable F&B solutions.

The company says its innovation center will play a “strategic role in the global diet transformation.” It features advanced cheese, bakery, and brewery facilities. 

The center includes technologies to enhance nutrition and taste and develop sugar substitutes, lactose-free products, and sustainable plant-based alternatives to fish, meat, and dairy. 

“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.” 

Sustainable facilities for co-creation

According to dsm-firmenich, the building houses an “ultra-modern co-creation kitchen,” as well as multiple tasting facilities and application labs for the dairy, bakery, and brewery industries. 

It will bring together over 400 employees. The building will also be certified according to the well-being and sustainability standards WELL and BREEAM, which measure buildings’ performance in human health and sustainability. 

“dsm-firmenich’s Van Marken Food Innovation Center is of great importance to the province of Zuid-Holland,” comments Wouter Kolff, the King’s Commissioner in the province of Zuid-Holland, who represents the Dutch Government. 

“The center is a driving force in strengthening the knowledge ecosystem and economic growth in the region and beyond. dsm-firmenich is an important employer and a magnet for current and future talent, contributing to the attractiveness of the city of Delft, the province, and the Netherlands.”

The new building is named for Jacques van Marken, founder of the Yeast and Spirits Factory, which was acquired by former DSM in 1998. The company says the tribute recognizes Van Marken as a pioneer, with business and social values that continue to inspire dsm-firmenich. 

In related news, dsm-firmenich revealed strong organic growth in the first half of 2025, driven by its strategic realignment. The company said it benefited from innovation-led growth and a streamlined portfolio.