DSM agrees multi-million deal to buy Martek
DSM has announced that it is to buy Martek Biosciences for £701 million (€829m) to ‘specialise further in the niche food nutrition industry’.
Dutch firm DSM has been repositioning itself in recent years away from bulk chemicals to focus on niche life sciences and materials sciences and last week completed its divestment programme, saying it has a ‘war chest’ of €2 billion for acquisitions.
The world’s largest vitamins maker says the deal gives it a new growth platform for natural, healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids nutrition ingredients, adding that Martek is a global leader, especially in infant formula nutrition.
The deal, which must be approved by shareholders and regulators, is expected to close in the first or second quarter of 2011.
