Genencor and Goodyear to co-develop renewable alternative to petroleum-derived isoprene

Collaborative research marks a leap forward for the biochemicals market segment
and the bio-based economy 

Genencor, a division of Danisco A/S, and The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. today
announced a research collaboration to develop a breakthrough bio-based process
for producing isoprene using renewable raw materials. 

Goodyear and Genencor are developing BioIsoprene™, a revolutionary bio-based
alternative for the petroleum-derived chemical compound isoprene. BioIsoprene™
can be used for the production of synthetic rubber - which in turn is an
alternative to natural rubber - and other elastomers. The development of
BioIsoprene™ could make the tyre and rubber industry less dependent on
oil-derived products, such as synthetic rubber made from petroleum-derived
isoprene monomer. 

Danisco bases its investment on conservative estimates, placing the annual
world market potential for high purity isoprene at a value of USD 1-2 billion.
BioIsopreneTM will address this market as a renewable and cost-competitive
alternative to petroleum-derived isoprene which is currently used in the
production of synthetic rubber for tyre applications, adhesives, elastomers and
other styrene applications. 

Genencor plans to manufacture and supply Goodyear with BioIsopreneTM through a
strategic supply arrangement. Goodyear is one of the world's largest users of
isoprene for the production of synthetic rubber and other elastomers. Sales of
BioIsopreneTM by Genencor to third parties are also anticipated for all market
applications of high purity isoprene. 

Danisco and Goodyear have been investing jointly for more than a year to
validate the project, establish the teams and secure intellectual property
assets. To date, our technical progress has exceeded expectations. Over the
next three years, Danisco will invest approximately USD 50 million to continue
technology development, scale-up and deliver manufacturing cost targets.
Additional investments to establish pilot plant operations and manufacturing
infrastructure are expected. We expect technical readiness by 2010 and
commission of the first large-scale manufacturing plant by 2012. Key technical
and commercial accomplishments will be communicated as the effort progresses. 
 

For Goodyear, a bio-based alternative to synthetic rubber would be an important
advancement as the company seeks innovative approaches to addressing raw
material needs. The company is committed to reducing its carbon footprint, and
BioIsoprene™ produced from renewable materials will help achieve this goal. 
 
‘We truly see this as a unique opportunity that is consistent with our culture
of innovation and industry leadership,' says Jean-Claude Kihn, Goodyear's Chief
Technology Officer. ‘Since synthetic rubber is a critical component to our
products, we are very excited to be working on this renewable alternative with
Genencor.' 
 
For Danisco and its Genencor division, BioIsoprene™ is part of its strategic
focus to build bio-based systems for biochemical and biofuel production. The
Genencor division is critical to unlocking this potential, because it has a
long track record as a pioneer in industrial biotechnology and continues to
deliver breakthrough bio-based solutions across industries. An example is the
joint initiative with DuPont that led to the development of an advanced
bioprocess to produce 1.3 propanediol, now sold as Sorona™ produced by DuPont
and Tate & Lyle. The project earned the US Presidential Green Chemistry
Challenge Award in 2003. 

‘Danisco sees this announcement as a major leap towards a bio-based future
driven by renewable resources,' adds Tom Knutzen, CEO of Danisco. ‘Our Genencor
division is one of the leading forces in industrial biotechnology and, once
again, proves that with this project. Today's announcement joins our recent
joint venture with DuPont on cellulosic ethanol as another important milestone
in changing the strategic profile of our company by capturing a bigger part of
the value chain in these exciting markets.' 

Danisco will host a conference call at 3 pm (CET) today for shareholders,
investors and the media. A slide presentation for this event will be accessible
under Investor Relations at www.danisco.com. 

Yours faithfully 


Tom Knutzen 
CEO