Netherlands-based DSM has commenced construction of its China Campus in the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park in the Pudong New Area of Shanghai (PRC). The China Campus will comprise several business groups and the R&D labs of DSM.
The DSM China Campus will house about 600 people and besides being the headquarters of DSM China, it will be DSM's biggest and most important research facility outside Europe and the USA.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Mr Jan Zuidam, Deputy Chairman of DSM said, "China is important for all three drivers of DSM's strategy Vision 2010 – Building on Strengths: market-driven growth and innovation, increased presence in emerging economies and operational excellence. Today's groundbreaking ceremony is a major milestone for us in China. The DSM China Campus will act not only as the headquarters of DSM in China, but also as the new incubator of our innovation competences. We at DSM know China not only as a market and production base, but also as a strategic starting point of research and development. It is difficult to overestimate China's importance to DSM."
In its design and execution, the DSM China Campus aims to achieve 'Gold' certification within the LEED program. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. "DSM takes sustainable and responsible entrepreneurship very seriously," said Mr Weiming Jiang, President of DSM China Ltd. "For the third consecutive year we have been elected the most sustainable chemical company worldwide in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Therefore, it was only logical that we would go for a 'green' design for our new DSM China Campus. The DSM China Campus will be one of the first buildings in China to earn the 'Gold' certification within the LEED program."