First-half sales of chemicals group DSM (Herlen, the Netherlands; www.dsm.com) rose 17% to EUR 4.12 bn, driven by the food and beverage business, while adjusted EBITDA gained 8% at EUR 746 mn. The figures reflect solely the Health, Nutrition & Bioscience operating activities, which are classified under Continuing Operations. DSM reclassified its Materials businesses as “assets held for sale” and bundled them under Discontinued Operations.

On 20 April 2022, DSM announced that it had reached an agreement to sell its Protective Materials business including its Dyneema activities to US compounder and distributor Avient (Avon Lake, Ohio; www.avient.com) for EUR 1.44 bn (see Plasteurope.com of 28.04.2022). Completion of the transaction is expected in H2 2022.

On 31 May 2022, DSM said it was selling its Engineering Materials business to financial investor Advent International (Boston, Massachusetts, USA; www.adventinternational.com) and Lanxess (Cologne, Germany, www.lanxess.com) for EUR 3.85 bn (see Plasteurope.com of 31.05.2022). Closing is expected in H1 2023.

First-half sales of DSM’s Discontinued Operations were reported at EUR 1.149 bn, up 18.33% year-on-year, while adjusted EBITDA expanded 7% to EUR 248 mn. What’s left of DSM – businesses for food and beverages, personal care, aromas, and human and animal nutrition and health – is to merge with Swiss-based Firmenich.