DuPont Breaks Ground on European Headquarters for Industrial Biosciences in the Netherlands

DuPont Industrial Biosciences officially broke ground January 24, 2029, on its new site at the Leiden Bio Science Park in Oegstgeest, the Netherlands. The state-of-the-art, multidisciplinary facility will utilize the tools of modern biotechnology to make industrial processes more efficient and products more sustainable, the company said.

The bio-based solutions created in Leiden will have a direct impact on some of the most pressing societal issues of today, it added, such as reducing food waste, reducing the environmental impacts of livestock farming and improving animal health, producing renewable fuels, and lowering environmental impacts in the textile and laundry industries.

The capacity of the new site will double the potential for growth of the current employee base, with the potential of creating an additional 100 jobs at the facility, including research and development, application development, marketing, sales and customer service. The building will serve as the new (Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) headquarters for DuPont Industrial Biosciences.

“Our Leiden scientists have been developing innovations that enable our customers to improve the efficiency and sustainability of their processes and products for many years,” said DuPont Vice President & Global Business Director for Bioactives Simon Herriott. “This new facility will enable our teams to do even more – to improve the pace of biotechnology and the speed with which we can deliver it to market. The ecosystem of talent, academia and community we find in the Leiden Bio Science Park is ideal for our work and for keeping us globally competitive.”

“Oegstgeest is pleased with DuPont establishing a site in our municipality. With DuPont building this facility in the Oegstgeest part of the Leiden Bio Science Park, organizations such as Corpus, Hilton and Avery Denison will be joined by an esteemed neighbor,” said Jan Nieuwenhuis, alderman economic development and bio science park of the executive mayor and aldermen of the city of Oegstgeest. “We are pleased to welcome such an internationally oriented, science-driven and socially responsible company as DuPont into the region, which undoubtedly will impact local job development.”

DuPont has partnered with Dutch developer and construction company Dura Vermeer on the building, which will cover 7,250 square meters, doubling the capacity of the current facility. The project will receive a BREEAM “Excellent” rating – a measure of a building’s sustainability and environmental footprint. The construction is scheduled to be completed in 2020.

“The design is in the service of the employees,” said Dura Vermeer Director Peter Krop. "Ultimately, it is about creating the right inspiring and flexible working environment. We are proud to be able to add DuPont to our customer list."

For more information on DuPont Industrial Biosciences, visit http://biosciences.dupont.com.