In 1995 another activity was started. It was decided to found the R-S Information Center for Natural Rubber. By establishing this Center the Rubber-Stichting aims to draw the attention of a broad public to the fact that even after more then 100 years natural rubber is still the best material for many applications because of its specific properties.
The Rubber-Stichting
Since 1936 aiming at the promotion and the proper use of natural rubber.
In 1934 the governments of Great Britain, France and The Netherlands, at that time thanks to their colonies good for 97% of the world natural rubber production, agreed upon the Rubber Restriction Agreement. Aim of this agreement was to deal with decreasing prices and increasing stocks for natural rubber on the world market, which threatened to kill the rubber production industry.
Part of the agreement was the introduction of a small tax on natural rubber from which scientific research and promotion of natural rubber could be paid. In the Netherlands this resulted in the foundation of the Rubber-Stichting at October 31, 1936. The Rubber-Stichting and its sister-institutes in the other countries maintained eminent mutual relations, co-ordinated by the International Rubber Research Board.
The Rubber-Stichting quickly developed to a nationally and internationally recognised institute with on its name numerous publications on all aspects of the production and application of natural rubber and latex. It saw its continuous growth interrupted during the war years, but the thread was taken up quickly after. In 1952 the Rubber-Stichting had a staff of 226, coming from 68 in 1946. In 1951 staff and equipment moved in Delft, The Netherlands, into a new modern building with laboratories, pilot plant and exhibition and conference facilities.
Unfortunately, since then the relation between Indonesia and The Netherlands changed in such a way that almost all activities of the Rubber-Stichting had to be ended in 1957. Staying at low level for a number of years, in 1970 the Board of the Rubber-Stichting decided to support various activities aimed on promoting the use of natural rubber or on research, the latter by (co-)financing third parties projects that were in line with the aim of the Rubber-Stichting. The first projects focussed on the transfer of knowledge and equipment to Indonesian laboratories. The Rubber-Stichting still supports almost every year one or more projects aimed on studying aspects of the processing or application of natural rubber or latex.
