Building on over a century of transformation, our story is one of innovation, sustainability, passion, and scientific creativity.
We officially launched dsm-firmenich on May 8, 2023, by combining Netherlands-based DSM N.V. and Swiss-based Firmenich SA in a merger of equals. The new company brought together two industry leaders united by a long-standing commitment to sustainability and a gift for continuous evolution in an ever-changing world.
From state mining to sustainable living
DSM has a tradition of radical transformation. Established in 1902 as the state-owned Dutch State Mines (Nederlandse Staatsmijnen), the company originally mined coal in Limburg in the south of the Netherlands. Over the 20th century, DSM reconceived itself several times, initially diversifying into commodity chemicals and petrochemicals. Its last mine was decommissioned in 1973. Re-established as a private company, the organization retained the acronym DSM and in the 1990s it underwent further transformation, focusing on science-based health, nutrition, and sustainable living.
Along the way, DSM worked with a range of partners to deliver innovative solutions that nourish, protect, and improve performance. It also pioneered a range of sustainability efforts, and published its first Triple P (People, Planet, Profit) report in 2008.
From start-up to global house of creators
Firmenich began in 1895, when scientist Philippe Chuit and businessman Martin Naef established a perfumery business in the garage of Charles Firmenich in Geneva, Switzerland.
Trading as Firmenich & Cie, the firm expanded, with activities in Paris and the US In 1939, its first head of research, Leopold Ružička, was joint winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Over the years Firmenich evolved, creating groundbreaking molecules, developing both new flavors and fragrances, and driving sustainability across its operations. The company opened a new headquarters in Geneva in the late 1980s and from 2005 to 2007 established its Naturals Center of Excellence in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur region of France. It also published its first Sustainability report at this time, and in 2022, inaugurated a new campus in Geneva.
