DuPont™ Solamet® screen-printable thick film -- commercialized in 2007 -- enables solar cell manufacturers to reduce cost per watt by achieving higher cell efficiencies and production yields and lower material consumption.

“DuPont is a science company.  It is through our market-driven science and innovation that DuPont delivers on our long-standing commitment toward sustainable growth,” Uma said.  “Our R&D engine is powerful and is driven by the relentless dedication and passion of over 5,000 scientists worldwide who are delivering high margin, high value-added products that have been instrumental in helping DuPont grow despite economic headwinds.”

DuPont has several metrics in place to measure the progress of its R&D pipeline.  The metrics have shown continuous and significant growth over the last five years, including:

Sales from new products:  New products launched in the last five years accounted for 36 percent of the company’s revenue in 2007.  This is up from 24 percent in 2001.  DuPont sales from new products introduced in the last 5 years grew to over USD 10 billion in 2007 – double that of 2003.

Patents filed and granted: DuPont scientists currently hold over 6,000 active U.S. patents and have more than 4,000 U.S. patents pending.  U.S. patents filed by DuPont scientists have increased 7 percent since 2006, while U.S. patents granted increased nearly 20 percent from 2006. 

New product launches:  DuPont has launched more than 3,000 new products or new product applications in the past three years.  In 2007, the company commercialized over 1,200 new products or new product applications.

“Our science and global market access is strong and DuPont is uniquely positioned to deliver real value to shareholders through science, technology and innovation,” Uma said.  “Our science is focused on today’s market needs as well as the needs for tomorrow -- whether it be new products for growing agriculture markets or continued innovations to deliver safety and protection that build on our long experience in this area.”