Royal DSM N.V., the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company headquartered in the Netherlands, has announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire the majority shareholding in Shandong ICD High Performance Fibre Co Ltd. (“ICD”), based in Laiwu, Shandong province, China. Closing of this transaction is expected in the course of 2011.

The acquisition of the majority share in ICD will bring complementary manufacturing and technology assets to DSM in addition to strengthening the company’s presence in this key market. The agreement with ICD, a manufacturer of UHMWPE (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene) fiber and a potential strong player in the Chinese market for high performance fibers, concludes an extensive selection process by DSM to find the right company in the Chinese market.

• DSM N.V., Heerlen, The Netherlands
• ICD High Performance Fibre Co, Shandong, China