Royal DSM announced a mutually beneficial agreement between its DSM Animal Nutrition & Health business group and North Carolina State University (NCSU), which will focus on three key research areas: animal gut health, precision nutrition and data-driven decision-making for animal health.

The partnership will span 10 years.

DSM and NCSU recently signed a memorandum of understanding that serves as a non-binding roadmap for deepening DSM’s partnership with NCSU at large, with the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences and the College of Veterinary Medicine being the specific partners in the area of animal nutrition and health research, the announcement said.

“This opportunity to partner with DSM is especially timely as we look at the huge challenges that the world faces in terms of food supply and food security in the years to come,” Paul Lunn, dean of the NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine, said. “How we produce food and how food affects our health is a focus of DSM and both colleges. This is the perfect opportunity to address it together.”

As part of the agreement, DSM said it will provide financial resources for renovations to existing animal science buildings and the development of two new buildings at NCSU. DSM intends to provide NCSU with approximately $2.5 million in funding over the first three years, with the potential for more in subsequent years, the company said.

“With renowned experts in poultry science, animal science and veterinary medicine, coupled with ambitious scientific resources, North Carolina State University is an ideal partner for DSM,” said Tom Frost, DSM director of innovation for animal nutrition and health in North America. “The collaboration with NCSU will also provide fertile ground for new talent development within the industry, leading to continued advancements and scientific discoveries in animal health.”

While past research collaborations between DSM and NCSU have focused on trials in poultry and swine health, new research projects will also include animal health and production for farmed fish, cattle, small ruminants such as sheep and goats, as well as companion animals, the announcement noted.

“North Carolina is the complete ecosystem for animal health and nutrition innovation. Not only do we have a strong agriculture and life sciences community, we are home to one of the world’s largest animal agriculture economies,” NCSU College of Agriculture & Life Sciences dean Richard Linton said, adding that the memorandum "not only enhances our partnership with DSM" but also "will create new opportunities for [the colleges] to leverage NCSU’s totally integrated food animal system, our incredible research, teaching and extension, to help grow the state’s largest economic driver: agriculture.”

The partnership also provides DSM with a home for research projects at NCSU, allowing it to conduct more timely research trials, the company said. To foster an impartial atmosphere, DSM will still be required to pay for trials conducted by NCSU. “It's a progressive model for research, allowing for more consistent research in a trial-ready environment,” Frost said.