ROYAL DSM NV, the Dutch life sciences and materials sciences company, said its food specialties unit is "actively" looking for partners or acquisition targets in China as it seeks to expand rapidly.

"We are in talks with a number of potential targets, and within five years there will be significant changes," Gong Xiangwei, regional president for Asia of the unit, said yesterday in Shanghai where DSM opened its new China science and technology center. She declined to be more specific.

DSM has said the global market for enzymes is worth 2 billion euros (US$2.7 billion) and is growing by 6-8 percent per year. The Chinese market for food enzymes is one of the world's largest and is growing at rates above the global average.

In June DSM formed a joint venture for enzyme with Jiangsu Province-based Yixing QianCheng Bio-Engineering Co, a private firm strong in food additives.
 

Source:shanghaidaily