The healthy ingredients giant hosted a similar OI event at its US base in New Jersey in the US in June and was so pleased with the results it has brought the concept to European shores with cognitive ingredients, colours, fibres and micronutrient technologies among stated targets.
Commercial innovation partnerships
“This goes way beyond a traditional OI website,” DNP innovative project manager, Maria Tavares, told us this morning.
“It is a way of getting to know each other and we see this as one way to accelerate internal innovation and to benefit the companies and institutions we work with. It is not just one-way and it is up to the companies to explore how working with DSM can benefit them.”
As in the New Jersey event, DSM has engaged with San Diego-based Nutrition Capital Network (NCN)] which will help with presentations from the assembled start-ups to the DSM innovation hierarchy.
Tavares said the nature of any eventual partnerships could take a variety of forms depending on the kind of entity involved and the nature of the collaboration.
“Post-event mentoring from a DSM executive will be available on a case-by-case basis, and all selected candidates will be considered for an investment by DSM Venturing or for another type of collaboration with DSM Nutritional Products Human Nutrition and Health,” DNP said.
Areas of interest include:
- Ingredients providing sustained energy benefits
- Blood glucose lowering ingredients
- Natural antioxidants
- Dietary solutions for food intolerances (e.g., for fructose, salicylates, etc.) and allergies
- Disruptive formulation technologies for micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, PUFAs, phytonutrients, dietary enzymes)
- Non-invasive diagnostics to assess levels of micronutrients in the human body
DSM says it will select between 6-10 “universities, university spin-outs and government research programs” to present at the December 15-17 event at its Swiss HQ in Kaiseraugst.
Interested parties have until October 30 to apply.