GORINCHEM, The Netherlands - Purac, a subsidiary of CSM with headquarters in the Netherlands, has agreed to acquire BIRD Engineering B.V.

BIRD Engineering is a biotech contract research company in the field of industrial microbiology. Headquartered in the Netherlands, BIRD has experience with various microorganisms, mostly bacteria and yeasts, and has expertise in the development of new strains and fermentation processes.

The acquisition will include the intellectual property and seven key employees of BIRD Engineering. BIRD Recruitment, a division of BIRD Engineering B.V., is not  part of the acquisition.

Arno van de Ven, Vice President Strategic Business Development of Purac, said, “CSM is developing into a leading supplier of bio-based ingredients and solutions. The acquisition of Bird Engineering is in line with our strategy to develop commercially attractive bio-based alternatives using renewable and sustainable resources. Our lactic acid technology is key in this, but we also identify business opportunities in adjacent organic acid platforms. BIRD Engineering focuses on the use of microorganisms and enzymes for the production of bio-based materials, for example bio-FDCA and bio-chemical building blocks, replacing materials based on fossil carbohydrates.”